Virginia's Transportation Board approved the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) 2010 fiscal budget last week, including a wide array of cuts across the Commonwealth.
The budget is reducing its 42 rest areas to 23 and closing several residency offices and equipment shops.
Reducing the number rest areas will save the state roughly $9 million.
For the residents here in the Valley, these widespread cuts mean the closure of the I-81 southbound rest area, two miles outside of New Market, and the neighboring Luray residency office.
The New Market rest area is set to close some time after July 1, once the budget becomes active. According to Marshall Barnhill, of the Staunton VDOT office, the exact date of closure has not been released at this point.
New Market officials voiced opposition to the closing of the rest area, according to Town Manager Chris Boies. Boies has concerns on the effects the closing will have on the town.
"It's obviously going to have a negative effect on our water and sewer revenues," he said.
The rest area purchases its water and sewer utilities from the town. The town is also concerned with truckers who may stop, looking for a place to rest.
"Truckers are still going to need a place to stop and with our narrow roads this may create a traffic issue," said Boies. "And to be fair to the truckers, they should have a place to rest."
Boies says once the rest area is closed and issues arise, the town may have to work with VDOT to place signs on I-81 stating that New Market is not trucker-friendly.
As for the Luray residency office, the closure will not take place until 2010.
"As far as we know, we will be notified some time in December of this year, and the closure will occur around March 2010," said Jeff Lineberry, Luray's residency administrator. "Those dates are subject to change, of course."
According to Lineberry, services to Page County will then be handled out of VDOT's Harrisonburg office while Warren and Clarke counties will be handled out of Edinburg.
The budget is reducing its 42 rest areas to 23 and closing several residency offices and equipment shops.
Reducing the number rest areas will save the state roughly $9 million.
For the residents here in the Valley, these widespread cuts mean the closure of the I-81 southbound rest area, two miles outside of New Market, and the neighboring Luray residency office.
The New Market rest area is set to close some time after July 1, once the budget becomes active. According to Marshall Barnhill, of the Staunton VDOT office, the exact date of closure has not been released at this point.
New Market officials voiced opposition to the closing of the rest area, according to Town Manager Chris Boies. Boies has concerns on the effects the closing will have on the town.
"It's obviously going to have a negative effect on our water and sewer revenues," he said.
The rest area purchases its water and sewer utilities from the town. The town is also concerned with truckers who may stop, looking for a place to rest.
"Truckers are still going to need a place to stop and with our narrow roads this may create a traffic issue," said Boies. "And to be fair to the truckers, they should have a place to rest."
Boies says once the rest area is closed and issues arise, the town may have to work with VDOT to place signs on I-81 stating that New Market is not trucker-friendly.
As for the Luray residency office, the closure will not take place until 2010.
"As far as we know, we will be notified some time in December of this year, and the closure will occur around March 2010," said Jeff Lineberry, Luray's residency administrator. "Those dates are subject to change, of course."
According to Lineberry, services to Page County will then be handled out of VDOT's Harrisonburg office while Warren and Clarke counties will be handled out of Edinburg.
