BEDFORD — Bedford County is set to get almost $2.8 million more for the upcoming year’s six-year plan for roads than the current year’s, based on estimated state allocations.
But county officials believe that with rising fuel costs and less gas tax money coming in, the county still has a long way to go before it can complete its needed road projects, which include a waiting list of nearly 50 unpaved roads.
“It’s good to have a plan, but it kind of looks like much ado about nothing,” said Bedford County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Arrington.
Bedford County Administrator Kathleen Guzi said that as more people conserve with higher fuel costs, that means less gas tax money goes into the county’s pool for road projects.
Though money for unpaved roads drastically decreased, the overall allocation the Virginia Department of Transportation was anticipating wasn’t as grim as expected, said Debbie Shinstine, a residency staff engineer for Bedford.
“This is the best estimate we have right now,” Guzi told the board.
Shinstine walked supervisors through the revised
six-year plan Monday, which officials had feared would be cut in half by reduced state funding.
The draft has 19 listed projects in three categories — seven in countywide cost centers, an increase from this year’s plan, and 12 in regular and unpaved construction.
The regular construction list includes bridge replacements on McDaniel Road, Coffee Road, Hardy Road and Goode Road. It also includes a major project in Moneta that proposes to realign the Virginia 122 and Diamond Hill Road intersection, as well as improvements to Cottontown Road in Forest.
Shinstine said the higher listed projects carry more priority since funding has been committed.
Supervisors are expected to approve the new six-year plan May 27, days before the June 1 deadline. The waiting list for unpaved roads could also see some rearrangements.
Supervisor Annie Pollard, who serves the Montvale District, made a suggestion of switching two of her unpaved roads based on needs of one over the other in a cost-savings move.
Supervisor Chuck Neudorfer, who serves the Moneta District, suggested taking all the unpaved roads in the county and putting them on a list prioritized by daily traffic count.
None of the unpaved roads on the list have a chance of making it onto the six-year plan this year, Guzi said.
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