On January 6th, VDOT held a public information meeting in Windsor to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the three Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA) proposals for Route 460. The meeting began with a detailed map of the corridor, showing the location of the new alignment and identifying all affected parcels. During this time, representatives from the three Proposers discussed the project with residents. After giving residents a chance to view the project, the Independent Review Panel—made up of VDOT officials, Commonwealth Transportation Board members, Planning District Proposers and a representative of the port—was introduced. Each Proposer presented project information, after which the Independent Review Panel asked questions in order to help them judge the financial feasibility of the project.
After the Independent Review Panel completed their questioning of all three Proposers, the floor was opened up for public speakers. The first few public speakers, elected officials from Prince George County, were concerned about the western terminus of the project and its effect on the community of New Bohemia. They asked the panel to choose an option that would allow the new Route 460 to connect into I-295 separate from the existing Route 460. A local police chief also expressed concern about increased railroad traffic on the Norfolk Southern line and how the increased traffic may impact emergency response to traffic incidents on the new Route 460. The other predominant concern held by the public involved the routing of 460 and how it would split land parcels. For more information on the Route 460 PPTA process, please see: www.route460ppta.org.