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The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are working to evaluate the environmental impacts of five route alternatives for Route-460.

In January 2013, Ferrovial and American Infrastructure (US 460 Mobility Partners) achieved financial close of the U.S. Route 460 Corridor Improvements Project (Design - Build- Finance). The consortium, which was chosen in October 2013 by Virginia Department of Transportation, also signed the US$1.393 million contract.

An estimated $300 million has already been spent on the project.

Route 460 Funding Corporation of Virginia issued a stop work order to US 460 Mobility Partners regarding the construction of the project. Pending further environmental review and an eventual receipt of an environmental permit, the 404 permit, were the reasons.

No right of way acquisition has taken place yet, although survey and geographic study work has been conducted.

The state is now focusing on the environmental impact of the project. They have five alternatives routes under study:

• A four-lane tolled road that runs south of the existing Route 460; identified as the preferred alternative in the original Environmental Impact Statement.

• A four-lane road that runs along the existing Route 460, including six bypasses around the existing towns. The bypasses will be evaluated as both tolled and not tolled.

• A four-lane tolled road that runs north of the existing Route 460; identified as CBA-3 in the original Environmental Impact Statement.

• The existing Route 460 would be rebuilt to meet standards for pavement, medians, shoulders, and intersections.

• An eight-lane road that follows a corridor similar to Alternative 2. Four of the eight lanes (two eastbound, two westbound) are tolled as in Alternatives 1 or 3. The remaining four lanes are untolled local roads with an eastbound and westbound lane on each side of the tolled road. At the bypasses, the local lanes merge onto existing Route 460 through the towns and the tolled lanes follow the bypass route.

The final document will include the preferred alternative out of the five above. Public hearings are scheduled to be held in fall 2014. It is expected that VDOT will make a recommendation on a preferred alternative by the end of the year.