Western bypass

Western bypass

now in doubt

By BURKE DAVIS III

Anindel Ncwgpapcn Staff Writer

The proposed bypass around Washington suffered blows last week in both Maryland and Virginia.

In Maryland, Transportation Secretary James Lighthizer said that plans for the longest eastern route for a bypass have been put on hold for an indefinite period, although shorter local routes remain possible options.

In the Virginia General Assembly, a resolution designed to support the controversial western routes of a bypass has been so altered that if it wins passage it could stall the project for years.

Ray Pethtel, Virginia’s Commission of Transportation, says that the $2 million study funded jointly by the two states will go forward. Beyond that Pethtel is not ready to speculate on the impact Lighthizer’s position will have on the project.

“As I understand what Mr. Lighthizer said, he thought that the eastern bypass wasn’t a financial possibility for at least five years. I obviously have not looked in detail at what impact that might have on the western bypass or other projects under consideration here in Virginia," Pethtel said by telephone on Monday.

He noted that “the first tier impact study is not complete. We are looking at the public input. . . figuring out what is needed in order to complete tier one and meet the requirements (set out by federal statute). I don’t fexpect the statement that Secretary Lighthizer has made will have an impact bn completing this part of the study effort. It could but it will be several months before we even know what we need to do to complete tier one.”

The tier approach to impact studies is part of the National Environmental Protection Act. The act requires that in large projects the impact be taken in stages, first on the “systems level” and then on the “project level. ’’