VDOT awaits ‘direction ’

VDOT awaits ‘direction ’

on contaminated soil

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Two signs proclaiming the site of a future $4.2 million project are the only progress that has been made on four-laning U.S. 211 from Washington to the Covington River bridge.

Resident engineer Robert Moore said that the Virginia Department of Transportation is “still waiting for the State Water Control Board people to give us direction on how much problem there is.”

In fact, that may not be the only problem, because while the highway department waits on a recommendation from the SWCB on what to do about the contaminated soil found in the area of the underground gasoline tanks at B and B Service Center, VDOT may have similar problems with property it already owns that was formerly the Flatwood Inn, across the road from the Rappahannock Farmers’ Cooperative.

“There are one or two tanks there that we own already,” Mr. Moore said. “We are going through the process of finding out what we need to do to clean that up.” He needs a recommendation from the SWCB on that problem also.

Mr. Moore said that the adjoining property the highway department acquired from the School Board that was formerly the school bus shop also had underground tanks, “but they were removed some time ago.” He said a study by students at Old Dominion University indicated there was no contamination at the former bus shop.

The project was originally scheduled to go out for bids in April. Mr. Moore said he now hopes to advertise for bids by January, 1991.

When he was asked if the highway department might start with the second phase of the project, from the Covington River west to just outside Sperryville, Mr. Moore said, “We would still like to go with the first section first if we can get things worked out.” He said the department is still in the process of acquiring the rightSeeU.S.

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