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Virginia budget negotiators are advancing a package that would direct another $175 million toward Interstate 81 improvements while increasing support for domestic violence services, prison healthcare and veterans programs.
The proposed I-81 funding would come from the state’s general fund and was contingent on Virginia’s 2024 year-end surplus. Supporters say the investment would accelerate construction along the corridor and reduce long-term project costs.
The recommendation follows last year’s $325 million general fund infusion for transportation, which included Northern Virginia transit funding for Metro and toll relief in Hampton Roads. Virginia also appropriated $21.7 billion in transportation funding over the biennium.
Other amendments would modernize how transportation money is distributed. Proposed changes to allocation formulas used by the Department of Aviation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation are intended to improve spending efficiency.
The plan also calls for $8 million from the Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund to support dredging near the Wallops Island launch site. The work is considered necessary for the rocket facility’s continued development and is tied to broader economic development efforts.
Another $250,000 would allow the Department of Transportation to study how development of Virginia’s highway system affected African American communities.
Public safety recommendations include an additional $4.1 million in general fund support for local sexual assault and domestic violence agencies. The state money would help offset continuing declines in federal assistance for those services.
More than $6.3 million in new general fund spending would enhance healthcare in state correctional facilities and expand career and technical education programs. The investments are designed to improve prison conditions and help individuals achieve better outcomes after release.
The package would also fund an expansion of veterans’ reentry and suicide prevention programs.