Comments on: Completion of Smart Road still anyone’s guess

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:06:00 +0000

The Bridge is a large waste of money i think the bridge should be looked at to be finished in the near future. Whats the point of building a mutli million dollar bridge if they were just going to run out of money and not finish it! Living within a mile from under the bridge i would like to see it used for something more than just a Test or study bridge.

By: Nick S.

Nick S. — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:31:26 +0000

And while the Smart Road is being used currently for good use, I really would hate for it to be wasted! I mean, it is a perfect reason to connect to I-81! Come on VA, do something!!! The voices are starting to be heard!!!

By: Nick S.

Nick S. — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:30:20 +0000

MikeW, I wholeheartedly agree with you! I’ve been waiting a good 10 years for this Smart Road project to be completed! It would be awesome to use it as a multi-functional road for other tests as well. It would be an awesome connection site and scenic too…also, there would be a great exit between the long stretch between Ironto and Cburg. Plus, in the long run, it is planned to be part of the major corridor of I-73.

With North Carolina expected to complete I-73 and I-74 in 10-15 years and South Carolina having projects to start building near Myrtle Beach, VA would be smart to get going on I-73 from Blacksburg to Martinsville! Then all to do is the Giles Co. to Michigan segment!

It would be great for another interstate to serve this area!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 21:28:14 +0000

The Smart Road should remain a closed, safe, experimental road for testing purposes. It should remain as is so researchers can continue the important work that is taking place there. Blasting out several miles of hillside for another connection to Interstate 81 is unnecessary.

By: MikeW

MikeW — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 05:35:52 +0000

The General Assembly and other decision-makers affecting our region need to get their act together! No one can see a functional need for improved I-81 access with the by-pass exit currently functioning well. But block that road in an emergency evacuation or access need of the region due to some unforeseen scenario and we would be in a bind. Blacksburg is an actively growing population. Virginia Tech is driving this growth. We should have multiple access/egress points to Blacksburg exclusive to the current roads. It’s not all football traffic that makes this obvious. The economic development of the region depends on a viable Blackburg and Virginia Tech. We are continually losing opportunities for revenue that would benefit the region because of limited access. We can’t have a viable economic engine in Virginia Tech without good transportation! A faster link to the Roanoke airport was a major part of the original justification for the smart road exit. SW Virginia continues to be ignored on transportation because of the huge sucking sound from NOVA and the eastern population centers. The priority of I-81 improvement and rail access have gone by the wayside. Our current air access is much more limited than it was 25 years ago. Rail no longer exists! Yet we continue to grow. Montgomery County was recently highlighted for its job market and low unemployment. This development demands better transportation than we have now. This region needs to do more to be noticed by Richmond and Washington than the Board of Supervisors sending a list to Richmond every year. We need to form or reenergize a consortium with other parts of the region, industry, Virginia Tech, other institutions, and citizens and ramp up this effort once again. Perhaps we need to hire a lobbyist? But we can’t continue to treat this need as routine.