Damned if You Don't...

In 2003, after Hurricane Isabel, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) (my customer-employer) was severely castigated in the media for failing to have any plan to evacuate the coastal cities in case of storm. I would counter, they did have a plan, but like in some many coastal places, either folks didn't want to leave early, or refused to go at all.

Anyway, VDOT has put together a series of plans for a phased evacuation of around a million people from the Hampton Roads area. Included in these plans is reversing the flow of traffic on what are normally the east-bound lanes of Interstate 64, from Norfolk to Richmond, to get folks away from the coast ASAP. To make this work they've been installing gates at every interchange to prevent cars from having "surprising" two-way encounters, since they'll be on the "wrong" side of the highway.

So, is everyone happy now? Is everyone thrilled with VDOT's pro-active stance? Don't be silly!

Here's one unhappy customer -

Can someone explain to me how the Virginia Department of Transportation is paying $35,000 for these hurricane roadblocks on Interstate 64? ("Interstate gates for hurricanes," July 20.)

What person in VDOT procurement thought that $35,000 was a good price for these things? Apparently someone did not do their job correctly. I mean, really - $35,000 each for these things that we may use once in 10 to 15 years or longer.

Once again VDOT is cheating the Virginia taxpayer. First it was the Mercury Boulevard overpass on I-64 that is still not finished and is more than two years behind schedule - now this. Why can't our elected officials in Richmond see this travesty and do something about it?

And we were supposed to have a new VDOT that did not waste money? Apparently someone forgot to tell VDOT this.

Michael S. Jordan
Yorktown

Well, I'd have to admit, they don't really look like they ought to cost $35K each. Welcome to government procurement.

Here's another -

Does everyone understand that the state has spent $2.5 million on gates that will be manually opened and closed in an environment of use that will probably be only once every 10-15 years? In all my years of living here, I have never seen the necessity of having four lanes of traffic westbound on Interstate 64 closed. I can only imagine what the impact will be on those who may have been eastbound during such a mess. Where will they go? Why not just have triangle barriers set up at the top and bottom of each off and on ramp? The yellow ‘Police Emergency' barriers are a lot cheaper. I can think of better ways that the $2.5 million could have been spent, i.e., road repairs, pay increases for State Troopers, or not spend it at all, saving us all some tax dollars.”

Bubba, in case of hurricane no one is supposed to travel toward the coast. If you must go, get off the freakin' Interstate