~ PVN staff report
HARRISONBURG — Last month the office of Virginia Senator Mark Obenshain issued a statement on his election as the next chair of the Interstate 81 Advisory Committee.
“I look forward to serving as Chair of the I-81 Advisory Committee over the next year. I want to thank Delegate Terry Austin for his leadership of the Committee over the past several years,” Sen. Obenshain’s Dec. 16 statement reads. “I have long been an advocate for more funding and safety improvements along the I-81 corridor. The 300-plus miles of interstate is the backbone to the economic supply chain, not only in the Shenandoah Valley, but across the Commonwealth and our neighboring states.”
The I-81 Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) regarding the development of the I-81 Corridor Improvement Plan.
“Everyone who lives around or travels the I-81 corridor knows how dangerous and unpredictable that vital highway has become. I was pleased to carry the 2019 legislation to implement the I-81 Corridor Improvement Plan. This has had a tremendous positive impact on advancing and prioritizing safety enhancements from Winchester to Bristol,” Sen. Obenshain stated. “Delegate Austin and I worked with Governor Youngkin to secure additional general fund dollars in the state budget last year, which provided an extra $175 million specifically for Interstate 81 paid for by surplus tax revenue.”
The Advisory Committee was created as part of the comprehensive I-81 Corridor Improvement Program and Fund from the 2019 General Assembly Session patroned by Senator Obenshain.
“Continued funding for I-81 safety improvements will be my priority and I look forward to working with the Governor’s Administration, members of the Advisory Committee and other stakeholders as we work together to make I-81 safe and reliable,” Sen. Obenshain stated.
Senator Obenshain represents the Second District in the Senate of Virginia. The district includes the city of Harrisonburg and the counties of Bath, Highland, Page, Rockingham, and Augusta (part.) He is a member of the Senate Committee on Courts of Justice; Commerce & Labor; Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources; and the Finance and Appropriations Committee.
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