FORT EUSTIS, Va., (USTCNS) --- A long-awaited second entrance road to Fort Eustis is underway thanks to SDDC's Transportation Engineering Agency and a partnership of governmental and military organizations.
Agency engineers administered design of the entrance and bridge over Warwick River as part of the Defense Access Road Program.
The $10.7 million construction project is scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2005. The project is one of 12 agency engineers are working on involving $142 million in defense-funded public highway improvements. A common denominator of all the projects is that they improve a military installation's strategic mobility.
"This is a lot of years of effort coming to fruition," said Chuck Ferguson, highway engineer.
With greater numbers of Soldiers owning vehicles and civilian traffic demands rising in recent decades, the second entrance has been an increasingly important installation goal.
In the late 1980s, the project came to a standstill when the city of Newport News, Va., withdrew support for the proposed location north of the post's main gate.
Agency planning for the new entrance began in 1997 at a new location approximately 1.5 miles south from the installation's entrance road. The new access road will connect directly with a major Newport News highway artery, Warwick Boulevard.
"This will be a more efficient use of the infrastructure," said Ferguson. "It will take a load off the existing entrance."
The second access road is expected to reduce main gate "traffic peaks" at commute periods and the lunch hour, said Ferguson.
"The project is a great example of cooperation between federal, state and local agencies," said Ferguson.
Agency staffers contributed to the project by studying traffic flow, justifying and obtaining defense funding and coordinating with government transportation officials. Peter Cline, senior Defense Access Road engineer, served as project manager. Installation and city representatives were also instrumental in expediting the funding process.
The Federal Highway Administration provided transportation funds between fiscal years 1999-2001 to develop and design the new entrance. Congress appropriated Army access road funding for constructing the project in fiscal year 2002.
"The project symbolizes the Transportation Engineering Agency's commitment to quality work in the Defense Access Road Program, said Bill Cooper, Director.
"This access road has everything," said Cooper. "It improves strategic mobility, increases highway safety, enhances traffic flow during peak hours and reduces emergency response time."
The Norfolk District Corps of Engineers agreed to design the project and serve as construction agent for the city of Newport News.
The bridge and road access are being built by Tidewater Skanska, Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va. Upon completion, the city of Newport News will be responsible for the off-post roadway and bridge portions of the new entrance. The installation will maintain the on-post portion of the roadway.
