RICHMOND - Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner Philip Shucet has returned two private-sector proposals to extend the Powhite Parkway toll road in Chesterfield County. The two unsolicited proposals were submitted under Virginia’s Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 (PPTA) by Powhite Parkway Partners, LLC and by the joint venture of W.C. English, Inc. and Koch Performance Roads, Inc.

“After careful review of both conceptual proposals, I have decided to return them because more work is needed to determine if there is any mutual interest among the appropriate public officials to extend the Powhite,” said Shucet.

Both conceptual proposals call for extending the Powhite Parkway by approximately nine miles from Route 288 to Route 360, with construction financed through toll revenues. The PPTA review process determines if the proposals meet established transportation and business criteria. During any of the review phases, the proposals are either moved forward or returned.

“I believe any consideration of extending the Powhite Parkway requires clearly articulated common goals among public officials, including the Richmond Metropolitan Authority, which owns and operates the Powhite Parkway in Richmond,” said Shucet. “The picture is simply not clear enough, in my opinion, to require further investment by the private sector, or further investment by scarce transportation resources.”

This summer, Shucet will hold a meeting with the appropriate public officials to determine if there is strong and consistent interest for extending the Powhite Parkway, and if so, the best manner in which to proceed.


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Page last modified: May 12, 2004