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River Street outlines fiber build timeline as supervisors press on delays and ARPA deadlines
Summary
River Street updated the Amelia County Board on engineering progress, permitting and an acquisition of TDS assets that River Street says accelerates build but that supervisors say delayed connections; the board pressed on service complaints, billing issues and whether ARPA grant deadlines can be met.
River Street representatives updated the Amelia County Board of Supervisors on the countywide fiber project, describing completed high‑level design, LiDAR mapping and the acquisition of several TDS facilities that River Street said will speed some parts of the build. "The current service availability, there's 378 locations that now have access to fiber," said Greg Coltrane, vice president of business development for River Street. He said construction is planned to pass 3,200 locations in 2026 with final completion expected in 2027.
Supervisors and residents pressed River Street over service quality, billing problems after the TDS acquisition and the project timeline. One supervisor criticized the pace sharply: "The whole thing is a disaster, period," a board member said, adding residents are frustrated when promised service is not delivered. County staff and a regional planning representative raised a related concern: ARPA funds used to support the build must be appropriated and/or spent by contract deadlines, and several supervisors asked whether the proposed 2026 and 2027 construction schedule would leave the county unable to obligate or spend those dollars in time. River Street acknowledged delays tied to the acquisition and permitting, and offered to meet separately with supervisors to address outstanding customer issues and timeline questions.
The presentation covered technical details that will shape construction sequencing: several remote cabinet sites were acquired with the TDS purchase and are now ready for staging, permitting with VDOT is proceeding in five‑mile sections, and River Street reported 628 miles of total fiber upon completion. The board asked staff to continue monitoring ARPA deadlines and permitting constraints and to report any need for changes to the county’s funding plan.
