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I-81 plan makes Valley anxious
The impact of possible tolls could injure the area's tourism economy, some feel
BY CALVIN R. TRICE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Monday, March 29, 2004
NEW MARKET - The impact of widening Interstate 81 could ripple out across the fields of the Shenandoah Valley's historic battlefields, down the streets of its quaint towns and amid the stalagmites of its caverns.
Tourism is big business to the region rich in history and natural splendor. Many people make their living, directly or indirectly, serving the estimated 300,000 people who spill off I-81's exit ramps every year to see and spend.
Plans to expand the truck-clogged highway from four to eight lanes and to start charging drivers to help pay for it have many hands wringing between the Alleghenies and the Blue Ridge.
Tourism officials realize that the highway needs attention because of the inordinately large proportion of tractor-trailers on I-81. They just hope the state beforehand pays close attention to the effects potential changes might have on visitorship, said John Shaffer, spokesman for Luray Caverns.
"We're not opposing this at this point, but obviously, we feel a very thorough study on the economic impact needs to be undertaken," Shaffer said.
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Whitt Clement spoke to representatives of a Valley tourism organization Thursday. The state is negotiating with a private construction group, Star Solutions, to expand I-81 and separate truck traffic in a project that could cost as much as $11 bil- lion over 15 years.
Clement told Shaffer and other attendees at a meeting of the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association that some measure of tolling will be needed to pay for the costs. The charge will at least apply to trucks but could possibly apply to cars, Clement said.
After his talk, Clement reiterated in an interview a point he stated to Valley tourism officials: Tolls will not be applied in a way that would hurt the region's travel business.
"Whatever tolls there are, will be subject first to a rigorous analysis of the economic impact on the citizens along the I-81 corridor," he said.
"If an economic analysis on the impact of tolls shows that, at a certain point, it begins to have a negative impact, and if that point impedes [construction funding], then, we've got a problem."
Luray Caverns in the northern Valley is a special case on the connection of I-81 to tourism. Its 10-story-high subterranean ceilings and towering stalagmite stone formations are located about a 15-minute drive east of the highway across Massanutten Mountain. About 40 percent of its estimated 500,000 annual visitors get to the caverns off I-81's New Market exit, Shaffer said.
Having I-81 designated as a toll road - even if the fees apply only to trucks - could scare off a large portion of the Caverns' business, he said.
"It's going to be looked at as a toll road, and I doubt if they [travelers] will take the time to find out that it's just for one class of vehicles," Shaffer said.
Shenandoah County established a committee to handle changes to I-81 when talk of construction came up about five years ago, said Susie Hill, director of economic development and tourism for the county.
One of the group's ideas is to lure visitors to the back roads if construction creates too much of a hassle or cost. They're planning to market their alternatives to driving clubs and travel agents, Hill said.
"It's just in an effort not to lose that important piece of our economy because of construction along the I-81 corridor," she said.
"There are lots of things to see and do other than along I-81."
Officials with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation are most concerned about the impact that construction could have on key historic war grounds. The foundation manages a National Historic District that links 10 Civil War battlefields from Highland County to Frederick County. I-81 cuts through seven of them.
The group wants to be involved in the planning once the state makes a deal with Star, foundation spokeswoman Elizabeth Paradis Stern said.
"We really want to be in the loop, so that we can be good stewards of these resources," Stern said.
Clement said federal regulations on interstate construction require the type of historic sensitivity that the Foundation could provide.
"There'll be ample opportunity for public comment and ample opportunity to consider alternatives - whether you don't build at all, or whether you go around it," the secretary said.
L. Meriwether German, acting director of the Valley Travel Association, said the group's membership understands how complicated planning and building I-81 improvements will be.
But on a project that's so important and that will be in the works for so long, German just hopes successive governors will be consistently mindful of concerns from the region's travel industry, German said.
"People are proud to live over here," he said. "It's pretty and we don't want it completely goofed up. That's going to be the challenge."
The impact of possible tolls could injure the area's tourism economy, some feel
BY CALVIN R. TRICE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Monday, March 29, 2004
NEW MARKET - The impact of widening Interstate 81 could ripple out across the fields of the Shenandoah Valley's historic battlefields, down the streets of its quaint towns and amid the stalagmites of its caverns.
Tourism is big business to the region rich in history and natural splendor. Many people make their living, directly or indirectly, serving the estimated 300,000 people who spill off I-81's exit ramps every year to see and spend.
Plans to expand the truck-clogged highway from four to eight lanes and to start charging drivers to help pay for it have many hands wringing between the Alleghenies and the Blue Ridge.
Tourism officials realize that the highway needs attention because of the inordinately large proportion of tractor-trailers on I-81. They just hope the state beforehand pays close attention to the effects potential changes might have on visitorship, said John Shaffer, spokesman for Luray Caverns.
"We're not opposing this at this point, but obviously, we feel a very thorough study on the economic impact needs to be undertaken," Shaffer said.
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Whitt Clement spoke to representatives of a Valley tourism organization Thursday. The state is negotiating with a private construction group, Star Solutions, to expand I-81 and separate truck traffic in a project that could cost as much as $11 bil- lion over 15 years.
Clement told Shaffer and other attendees at a meeting of the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association that some measure of tolling will be needed to pay for the costs. The charge will at least apply to trucks but could possibly apply to cars, Clement said.
After his talk, Clement reiterated in an interview a point he stated to Valley tourism officials: Tolls will not be applied in a way that would hurt the region's travel business.
"Whatever tolls there are, will be subject first to a rigorous analysis of the economic impact on the citizens along the I-81 corridor," he said.
"If an economic analysis on the impact of tolls shows that, at a certain point, it begins to have a negative impact, and if that point impedes [construction funding], then, we've got a problem."
Luray Caverns in the northern Valley is a special case on the connection of I-81 to tourism. Its 10-story-high subterranean ceilings and towering stalagmite stone formations are located about a 15-minute drive east of the highway across Massanutten Mountain. About 40 percent of its estimated 500,000 annual visitors get to the caverns off I-81's New Market exit, Shaffer said.
Having I-81 designated as a toll road - even if the fees apply only to trucks - could scare off a large portion of the Caverns' business, he said.
"It's going to be looked at as a toll road, and I doubt if they [travelers] will take the time to find out that it's just for one class of vehicles," Shaffer said.
Shenandoah County established a committee to handle changes to I-81 when talk of construction came up about five years ago, said Susie Hill, director of economic development and tourism for the county.
One of the group's ideas is to lure visitors to the back roads if construction creates too much of a hassle or cost. They're planning to market their alternatives to driving clubs and travel agents, Hill said.
"It's just in an effort not to lose that important piece of our economy because of construction along the I-81 corridor," she said.
"There are lots of things to see and do other than along I-81."
Officials with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation are most concerned about the impact that construction could have on key historic war grounds. The foundation manages a National Historic District that links 10 Civil War battlefields from Highland County to Frederick County. I-81 cuts through seven of them.
The group wants to be involved in the planning once the state makes a deal with Star, foundation spokeswoman Elizabeth Paradis Stern said.
"We really want to be in the loop, so that we can be good stewards of these resources," Stern said.
Clement said federal regulations on interstate construction require the type of historic sensitivity that the Foundation could provide.
"There'll be ample opportunity for public comment and ample opportunity to consider alternatives - whether you don't build at all, or whether you go around it," the secretary said.
L. Meriwether German, acting director of the Valley Travel Association, said the group's membership understands how complicated planning and building I-81 improvements will be.
But on a project that's so important and that will be in the works for so long, German just hopes successive governors will be consistently mindful of concerns from the region's travel industry, German said.
"People are proud to live over here," he said. "It's pretty and we don't want it completely goofed up. That's going to be the challenge."