Current Projects Scenic Virginia a Co-Plaintiff in I-81 Lawsuit In our Fall 2007 newsletter, we stated our opposition to the expansive, expensive and unnecessary widening of I-81 through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and southwest Virginia. In February 2008, the Board of Scenic Virginia voted to join the lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) filed in December by a private landowner, the Shenandoah Valley Network, and the Coalition for Smarter Growth. As it turns out, we are in very good company on this issue: There is unanimous opposition to the I-81 widening from the affected localities and their elected officials. In addition, other new co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the National Trust for Historic Preservation, APVA Preservation Virginia, Valley Conservation Council, Rockbridge Area Conservation Council, Virginia Organizing Project, and Sierra Club. The lawsuit asserts that the plan's concept for I-81 "will result in significant, irreversible, adverse effects on natural, scenic, cultural, historic and ecological resources, communities and property owners."  “The I-81 corridor contains acres and acres of our Commonwealth's most beautiful vistas and viewsheds," noted Scenic Virginia Executive Director Leighton Powell in the February 15 press release. "We oppose the sacrifice of these valuable scenic resources for a road plan based on incomplete information that fails to consider rail options and other thoughtful alternatives. The last thing Virginians need or want is a tolled highway on the scale of the New Jersey Turnpike roaring through the cities, towns and countryside of the Shenandoah Valley and southwest Virginia."             In July 2007, Norfolk Southern announced plans for a $2 billion rail upgrade along the Crescent Corridor from New York to Texas that will divert one million trucks from I-81, including 750,000 trucks in Virginia, up to 25% of the current total in the state. A General Assembly-mandated state study of the potential for diverting up to 60% of I-81 through truck freight to rail is due in 2008. For additional information, please visit the Shenandoah Valley Network’s website.

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