Winchester council presses Delegate Wiley on I-81 funding, safety and timelines

Winchester City Councilors used a special Oct. 22 meeting with Delegate Wiley to press for action on Interstate 81, which councilors and the delegate said is critical to the region's economy but lags in prioritized projects and improvements.

"It's $35,000,000 to do a lane mile," Delegate Wiley told the council while describing the scale of work and the contractor and staffing shortages that slow projects. He said lengthy planning and engineering timelines — roughly five years to prepare complex projects — mean major multi-lane improvements in the area are unlikely before about 2031 unless priorities or funding change.

Councilors and Wiley discussed why smaller localities can feel disadvantaged under current VDOT funding formulas. Wiley described options tried in other localities — transportation tax districts and local transportation funds that can serve as matching or gap-closing sources — and said he will continue to press transportation officials and the governor's office to prioritize the corridor.

Safety came up repeatedly: council members asked about enhanced incident signalization, faster tow and emergency response, speed enforcement and consistent lane-use signage. "You guys will get on it right now," Wiley said after noting he had asked the commissioner why left-lane restrictions that appear on other highways were not in place on I-81.

Wiley also recounted prior revenue-concept discussions, including one arena-related proposal he said once included messaging that could have funneled money to I-81 ($100 million per year was cited as part of earlier conversations), and said he is open to revenue options — including regulated gambling revenue — if structured to address transportation and school funding while protecting public safety.

There was no formal vote or new commitment recorded at the meeting; the council adjourned after the discussion.