Start work here on I-73

Consideration must be given to the construction of the first phase of Interstate 73 now. Top priority for the new highway should be directed to the jagged and congested 20-mile section of U.S. 220 that twists and turns between Roanoke and the Wirtz area in Franklin County.

This leg serves as an urban highway that carries both interstate and local traffic. With an average daily traffic count of 24,000 vehicles through Boones Mill, this rugged section needs to be replaced.

It won’t be cheap, and some businesses might be bypassed.

Other sections of I-73 will need to be held off for construction at a later date. While keeping in the realm of pragmatic reality, we need to adhere to our historic pay-as-you-go policy that was once the modus operandi in Virginia.

A 60-mile drive over U.S. 220 and the Martinsville bypass to Ridgeway, just north of the North Carolina line, should answer most of your questions.

DORR TUCKER
ROANOKE

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