The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved the Final FY 2016-2021 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) at its June 17, 2015 meeting, allocating $13.3 billion to highway and public transportation projects statewide.  Allocations to projects under the purview of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) total approximately $9.9 billion and projects under the purview of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) total approximately $3.4 billion for the next six fiscal years beginning on July 1, 2015.  The FY 2016-2021 SYIP does not include projects that are subject to the recently approved House Bill 2 (HB2) Statewide Project Prioritization Process.  Projects selected and funded under HB2 will be included in next year’s update of the SYIP. 

Of the $9.9 billion programmed for highway projects, just over $1.4 billion is programmed to projects within the VDOT Hampton Roads Construction District.  During the development of the SYIP, the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) submitted a list of priority projects to be considered for funding in the program.  Several key highway projects are fully-funded in the final SYIP, including: 

• I-64 Peninsula Widening – Segment 1
• I-564 Intermodal Connector (Norfolk)
• Denbigh Boulevard Bridge Replacement (Newport News)
• Dominion Boulevard Widening and Bridge Replacement (Chesapeake)
• Lesner Bridge Replacement (Virginia Beach)
• Turnpike Road Reconstruction (Portsmouth)
• Wythe Creek Road Widening (Poquoson)

Key rail and public transportation items fully-funded in the final SYIP include:

• Jamestown Ferry Boat
• Williamsburg Area Transit Authority Administration Operations Center
• Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Naval Station Norfolk Transit Extension Study

The HRTPO has urged VDOT and DRPT to continue efforts to fund the other highway, bridge, rail, and public transportations needs identified as priorities by the HRTPO.  Among the highest of these priorities are:

• I-64 Peninsula Widening – Segments 2 and 3
• I-64/264 Interchange Improvements
• Hampton Roads Third Crossing
• I-64 Southside Widening and Replacement of High-Rise Bridge
• Norfolk-Richmond Passenger Rail – Trains 2 and 3
• Hampton Roads/Richmond Passenger Rail – Tier II EIS
• Light Rail and Fixed Guide-way Projects on the Southside and Peninsula

More information on the FY 2016-2021 SYIP is available on the VDOT website at:

http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/statewide/2015/commonwealth_transportation_board_approves83856.asp.