Digging in
As the largest highway construction project in state history, the $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion is without question the most notable road project currently underway in Virginia. Construction began in October 2020, and workers made a lot of progress last year, remaining on track to reach the Virginia Departme[...]
Executive insights
Leaders from Virginia’s maritime and logistics industries share their thoughts about where their sectors stand amid labor shortages, growing cargo volumes and the pandemic’s lingering impacts. Devon C. Anders President, InterChange Group Inc.; Chair, Virginia Maritime Association Valley Logistics Chapter Harrisonburg VB: How is your company hiring and retaining staff? Anders: We have intensified through […][...]
Amazon be nimble, Amazon be quick
When it comes to building warehouses and distribution centers, one company has sought out Virginia over and over again: Amazon.com Inc. The e-commerce giant began opening facilities in Virginia in 2006 and since then has opened more than 30 facilities in the commonwealth, with more on the way as it seeks to shrink the time [&hel[...]
Fifth District economy growth is moderate, Fed says
The Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) continued to grow moderately despite supply chain issues, labor shortages and rising prices, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. The Beige Book is publish[...]
Norfolk Southern donates archives to museum
Atlanta-based Norfolk Southern Corp. donated its complete collection of historical documents and archives from Norfolk and Western Railway, its predecessor, to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the company announced last week. Norfolk Southern, formerly headquartered in Norfolk, also provided a $750,000 grant to help[...]
Metro releases 10-year strategic plan for development
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which runs Metrorail and Metrobus, released its first-ever strategic plan for joint development on Thursday, announcing an ambitious initiative to bring in 26,000 new housing units in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The document says that 40 Metro stations — including[...]
Coalfields Expressway: Mostly unfinished and unfunded
Progress on a proposed 115-mile federal highway to improve transportation connectivity between Southwest Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky has been crawling in the commonwealth. Authorized by Congress in 1995, the Coalfields Expressway (CFX) — U.S. Route 121 — would run from U.S. Route 23 in Pound to Inter[...]
Metro delays create hassles for businesses, workers
Metrorail delays played a factor in Danielle Romanetti’s decision at the beginning of the year to close fibre space, her Old Town Alexandria yarn and knitting supplies shop, an hour earlier each day. “We now close at [7 p.m.] instead of [8 p.m.], just so staff can get home in time to eat a proper […]
Dulles transit fleet to go greener
Washington Dulles International Airport’s parking shuttle fleet is going greener. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Thursday announced that it purchased five fully electric-powered ZX5+ buses from California-based Proterra Operating Company Inc. as well as three charging stations. Each 29-seat bus features a 450-kilowatt-hour battery that can deliver as many as 216 miles of service […][...]
Penn. logistics firm building cross-dock centers in Va.
Pennsylvania-based warehousing and logistics company A. Duie Pyle Inc. will invest about $20 million to establish three cross-dock service centers in Manassas, Richmond and Roanoke, an expansion expected to create 75 jobs, Pyle and Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. It’s the company’s first entry into Virginia. �[...]
Accenture Federal Services wins nearly $200M IT contract
Arlington-based Accenture Federal Services announced Monday that it has won a $199 million, seven-year contract from the Transportation Security Administration. Under the contract, AFS will help the TSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, consolidate three credentialing systems onto one platform to improve threat response and the administration’s evolving operational needs. […][...]
Construction starts on I-495 express lanes extension
Virginia and Transurban North America officials held a groundbreaking Monday for the $660 million extension of the Interstate 495 express lanes in Fairfax County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced. The 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project is occurring on a 2.5-mile stretch between the Dulles Corridor and the Georg[...]