DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997              TAG: 9704170366

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   75 lines

REGIONAL PLANNERS LOOK AT WAYS TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION A NEW BRIDGE-TUNNEL APPARENTLY WOULD NOT SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS ON THE ROADS.

A third bridge-tunnel linking South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula, and costing billions of dollars, would not be a panacea for our traffic woes.

In fact, the only corridors that will get relief are the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel and Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk, a consultant said Wednesday.

Other congested roads will remain congested.

``There's not some option that connects the Peninsula to the Southside that will make everything (better),'' said Philip A. Shucet, project manager for Michael Baker Corp.

And even if the third crossing is built, demand will exceed the capacity of the three bridge-tunnels by 2015, Shucet added.

These are some of the quandaries that face the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission as it considers 11 alternatives to alleviate congestion at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

One of the options is to do nothing. But Shucet warned that if nothing is done, traffic at the Hampton Roads crossing will be stalled for 15 minutes or more, 21 times a day.

``Effectively that's a congested period that lasts 24 hours a day,'' he said.

The regional planning body over the next four months will examine traffic, social, environmental and financial issues of building another bridge-tunnel.

The regional leaders had no questions or discussion Wednesday after Shucet's presentation.

``I think everyone is reserving judgment until they hear everything,'' said commission Chairman Joe Frank, Newport News mayor. ``There's an enormous amount of information, material and data to try to digest.''

Public hearings have been scheduled for May to gather citizens' views.

The consultants will make a recommendation in July to the planning body, which will then vote on a preferred option. The Commonwealth Transportation Board is scheduled to make the final decision in September.

Costs of a third crossing range from $1.3 billion to $3.3 billion. The alternatives can be grouped into four categories:

A set of options that call for a new span that would run east of the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, curve around Craney Island in Portsmouth and end near Norfolk International Terminals and Terminal Boulevard in Norfolk. Variations include a spur to Craney Island.

Sinking two sets of tunnels would be required - one in the Hampton Roads harbor and the other in the Elizabeth River.

Another set of alternatives is a new bridge-tunnel along the same alignment as the Monitor-Merrimac, but with an interchange on the bridge to divert motorists east toward Portsmouth and Norfolk. Again, there's a Craney Island option and two sets of tunnels.

A new bridge and tunnel parallel to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

A new bridge and tunnel parallel to the Monitor-Merrimac. Shucet said Wednesday that a parallel span to the Monitor-Merrimac would do the least to improve traffic flow.

In each proposal, the tunnel would have two lanes in each direction, plus two lanes for multi-modal traffic such as car pools, express buses or light rail.

The $6 million study began three years ago to explore ways to relieve congestion on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, which is operating beyond capacity. About 88,000 vehicles use the facility daily.

Traffic frequently slows to a crawl at the tunnel on weekdays during business rush hours, as well as at the start and end of weekends because of tourists.

The Monitor-Merrimac, which was completed in 1992 for $400million, is operating below capacity at 33,000 vehicles per day.

But officials declare it a success because it is diverting significant traffic from the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. The average number of vehicles per day at Hampton Roads in July was 87,000, a decrease of 2,000 from July 1995.

A big issue will be how to pay for the third crossing. The cost of another water crossing is about equal to the region's entire highway construction budget for the next 20 years, Shucet said.

Tolls are a likely funding source.

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