Bowers Hill

Re “Interstate expansion” (Your Views, Sept. 7): As part of Virginia Department of Transportation’s Bowers Hill Interchange Improvements Study, the selected Preferred Alternative C proposes the addition of one high-occupancy toll express lane and one part-time drivable shoulder in each direction, along with interchange improvements. The express lanes will provide motorists with an additional travel choice while still maintaining the option of free general purpose lanes. Solo drivers can choose to pay a variable toll to use the express lanes, while vehicles carrying two or more passengers and an E-ZPass Flex transponder switched to “HOV ON” mode can use the express lanes for free.

The high-occupancy toll model is growing increasingly popular in transportation networks nationwide as a more long-term congestion mitigation solution using strategic traffic management through dynamic tolling. While motorists will always have the option of traveling in the free general purpose lanes, the addition of express lanes is designed to improve travel times and reliability, benefiting all motorists in both the general purpose and express lanes.

Additionally, to clarify, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement projects a worst-case scenario as to potential impacts on the human and natural environment within the construction footprint. Additional efforts will be undertaken to reduce natural resource impacts during the final design phases, permitting and following the DEIS public comment period.

While the current study timeline estimates construction beginning as early as 2035, VDOT is actively improving the region’s transportation network, with more than $4 billion in transportation projects currently under construction and more to follow.

Christopher G. Hall; district engineer, Hampton Roads District, Virginia Department of Transportation; Suffolk