[Archived] Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley Calls on Virginia's Governor to Preserve Access to Eisenhower Valley as Proposed in Woodrow Wilson Bridge Study


News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Friday, June 21, 1996
Contact:	Kerry J. Donley, Mayor, (703) 838-4500 (O), (703) 823-3359 (H),Tom Brannan, Assistant City Manager, (703) 838-4300

Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley Calls on Virginia's Governor to Preserve Access to Eisenhower Valley as Proposed in Woodrow Wilson Bridge Study

Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley today called on Virginia Governor
George Allen to intervene with the Virginia Department of Transportation
(VDOT) to ensure that improvements to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge include
direct access from the Beltway (I-95) to Eisenhower Valley, a 500-acre
business corridor that stretches along the City's southern border. The
Eisenhower Valley is home to 270 businesses occupying nearly 3.8 million
square feet of commercial space, and 273 acres in the Valley are primed
for development.

In a June 21 letter to Governor Allen, Mayor Donley requested that
the Governor rescind a suggested change made by VDOT to a well established
road plan developed during the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Improvement Study.
VDOT proposed a change to that road plan that would delete direct ramp
access from the Beltway to Eisenhower Avenue just west of U.S. Route 1.

Mayor Donley first learned of VDOT's request that the Eisenhower
Valley access be deleted at the June 18 meeting of the Woodrow Wilson
Bridge Improvement Study Coordinating Committee on which he serves.

The Virginia Department of Transportation decided to eliminate this
vital link to the City "without consulting any Alexandria member of the
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Improvement Study Coordinating Committee (Mayor
Donley, State Senator Patricia S. Ticer, and Delegate Marian Van
Landingham)," said Mayor Donley. "VDOT Commissioner David Gehr did not
extend us the courtesy of informing us of such a recommendation. His
actions are inexcusable and seriously undermine the Coordination
Committee's efforts to reach consensus on the resolution of this regional
problem," said Mayor Donley.

"Besides the unilateral nature of this action by VDOT, the
Department's reasons for their recommendation are seriously flawed," said
Mayor Donley. "The connection from the Beltway to the Eisenhower Valley
was proposed as a high volume express access for Virginia travelers from
south of the Beltway, particularly in the U.S. Route 1 corridor, and for
Maryland constituents using the Potomac River crossing. It has always
been contemplated that this would be an HOV and express bus access,
linking the suburbs of Fairfax County and Prince George's County with the
Eisenhower Metrorail station," said the Mayor.

In his letter to the Governor, Mayor Donley emphasized the economic
development potential of Eisenhower Valley and the importance of highway
access to economic development.

"The most important aspect of the proposed (Eisenhower Valley)
connection is the boost that it will provide for economic development,"
said the Mayor. "The potential exists for several million square feet of
office and residential development over the next few years, and in the
longer term, more than 10 million square feet," he said.

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(Note to Editors: A copy of Mayor Donley's letter is available. Please
contact Tom Brannan at 838-4300)