RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Brenda Waters 276-669-9999 bristolinfo@VDOT.Virginia.gov Michelle Earl 276-669-9901

BRIS-CO0526 June 24, 2005

VDOT committed to Coalfields Expressway

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) reaffirmed today its commitment to the Coalfields Expressway project in southwestern Virginia and is reviewing options for advancing the project.

In a letter to VDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) said it will not continue to participate in the project with federal funds via the Virginia Public Transportation Act (PPTA) under FHWA’s Special Experimental Project 14 (SEP-14) program. Please refer to the attached letter.

VDOT entered into a public-private partnership with KBR to design and build the Coalfields Expressway on January 11, 2002.

VDOT remains committed to the project. VDOT and the Commonwealth Transportation Board have committed a total of $62 million in federal and state dollars to the project. VDOT will maximize all available state and federal dollars for this project.

VDOT - in consultation with the Attorney General’s office and affected communities - is evaluating all options for moving the project forward.

The Coalfields Expressway will be a new four-lane highway stretching 51 miles from Pound in Wise County, through Dickenson and Buchanan counties. It will link with the West Virginia Coalfields Expressway near Paynesville, West Virginia. The total cost estimate for the project is $3.8 billion.

Approximately $31 million in design work is nearly completed for Section A, which is a 6.5-mile portion of the project.