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Arlington Board candidates split over I-66 widening projects
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Arlington (Map, News) - Candidates for two open seats on the Arlington County Board last week disagreed sharply over widening sections of Interstate 66 between Rosslyn and the Washington Dulles International Airport Access Road.
The Republican candidates considered the project a done deal and said they would work with the Virginia Department of Transportation to ensure the least harmful effect to the community.
The Democrat and Green party candidates oppose the project and said they would continue to fight it.
The $75 million project includes adding a third lane on the interstate sections from Lee Highway to Glebe Road, Fairfax Drive to Sycamore Street in Falls Church, and Washington Boulevard to the Dulles Connector.
“We're very aggressively pushing VDOT to meet with the county because what happened … was a disaster,” said Walter Tejada, board vice chairman and a Democrat running for re-election. “We're looking at what legal options we have.”
When I-66 was built in the 1970s, President Gerald Ford’s transportation secretary, in an effort to appease the Arlington residents who opposed the road, agreed that it would be no wider than two lanes in each direction.
Current opponents consider the agreement the basis for legal action.
“Arlington has to continue saying, 'This was the deal, stick with the deal,'” said Mary Hynes, a Democrat.
However, designs for the westbound expansions are about 30 percent complete, according to a presentation VDOT gave in September. Funding has been provided for two of the three sections. Construction is scheduled to start in 2009 or 2010, and be completed by 2013, according to VDOT’s Web site on the project.
“All of Northern Virginia except for us [want it],” said Mike McMenamin, a Republican candidate. “It's gonna happen. We don't want to stick our heads in the sand.”
McMenamin said if elected, he would try to work with VDOT officials to save a park endangered by the projects. Republican candidate Joe Warren agreed, pointing out that Arlington residents represent 10 percent of Northern Virginia's population.
“Times change,” Warren said. “This would take some traffic off local streets and put it on I-66.”
mhegstad@dcexaminer.com
