THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 22, 1995 TAG: 9502220424
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Buckle those seat belts, strap in the kids and grip that steering wheel until your knuckles turn white. Hampton Roads could soon be within its own Beltway.
This isn't the continually clogged Capital Beltway, that noose of interstates surrounding Washington. We're talking the Hampton Roads Beltway, the proposed new name for the 55-mile concrete ribbon of Interstates 664 and 64 surrounding Hampton Roads.
The Hampton Roads Caucus, a body of local legislators, endorsed the change last week as a means to ``unify, identify and promote'' the region without spending money on it (except for new signs, of course).
State Sen. Frederick M. Quayle, whose district includes parts of Suffolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth, is leading the charge, saying the new title will help people and businesses better identify, navigate and settle in the corridor.
Identifying Interstate 664 and Interstate 64 as a continuous circle could also help wayward motorists better navigate the roads. On some sections of Interstate 64, signs say you're heading east as you stare at the sun setting in the west.
``I mean, that doesn't make sense,'' said Dwight Farmer, director of transportation for the regional planning district. ``I think it deserves attention.''
But should the Hampton Roads Beltway come into existence, traffic reports would likely refer to an outer and inner beltway, indicating whether you are on the outside or inside of the loop.
``Once the people understand the system, then it's easy,'' said Farmer. ``You should have no confusion.''
Before the name change becomes reality, it would have to be approved by local cities, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and the Commonwealth Transportation Board, according to Quayle spokesman J. Brewer Moore.
Moore admits that simply saying the word ``beltway'' frightens some. ``They equate it with gridlock,'' he said. ``But the one reason that it's so crowded is that it's so successful.''
Quayle says the 55 miles of Interstates 664 and 64 connect all of the region's cities. And planners referred to Interstate 664 as the Hampton Roads Beltway years ago, but the tag faded away.
And with 34,000 vehicles a day passing through the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel in January and 74,000 vehicles a day passing through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, Quayle and others have asked: Why not a beltway?
``It has much in common with the Capital Beltway,'' said Quayle in his speech, ``and warrants a similar designation.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
JOHN EARLE/Staff
by CNB