VTCA Member Exclusive Article

 

The Virginia General Assembly has completed its first full week. VTCA has been actively tracking and determining the impact of 2,461 bills thus far. We have a “divided state government” with Democrats in control of the legislature and a Republican Governor who will need to find viable solutions and compromises, or nothing will get passed. 

 

We will highlight some bills and then list all the bills we are tracking for our members to review. 

DEQ recently announced a series of educational webinars on Virginia Water Protection (VWP) permitting. This training is designed to improve understanding of the wetland permit application requirements.

VDOT is now offering its one-day Conceptual Cost Estimating Course (in-person).  The course attempts to guide participants through the development of a conception project cost estimate starting with Purpose and Need and running through the Cost Estimation Package/Workbook.

VDOT has recently updated its CEI Inspection Classification Hourly Rate Pay Limits. The new rates (for all classifications) represent a straight 5% increase over the rates as published for 2023.

Delegate Shelly Simonds, Virginia’s 70th district, introduced HB-84 – “Public Notification of Mineral Exploration Activity” for consideration by the General Assembly. This bill is designed to require public notification when entities plan to conduct physical mineral exploration such as core drilling on sites. In simple terms, no one will be permitted to confidentially conduct exploratory core drilling or ground disturbance to determine the location, quality, or quantities of minerals. 

It is crucial for highway agencies, including the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), to maintain the structural and functional conditions of existing pavements in a state of good repair. Pavement preservation treatments can help achieve this objective by extending the service life of existing (flexible) pavements by delaying deterioration and improving the functional performance characteristics of these pavements.