Moran, Webb, Warner, Connolly Show Record of Success in Efforts to Reduce Impact of BRAC Moves

Press Release

Congressmen Jim Moran and Gerry Connolly, and Senators Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner today applauded passage of the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, marking the fourth in a series of long-fought successes to reduce the impact of the Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) process on Northern Virginia.

The legislation passed today includes $300 million to improve access to world-class defense medical class facilities affected by BRAC. In Virginia, this funding will be used to widen Route 1 to accommodate the influx of 4,200 personnel, patients, and families coming to the new Ft. Belvoir Hospital.

Today's funding for Ft. Belvoir builds upon $20 million for short and mid-term transportation improvements at the Mark Center released yesterday by the Defense Department (DoD). The funding was requested in January by Congressmen Moran and Connolly, and Senators Webb and Warner.

"I want to thank Chairmen Rogers and Inouye, as well as Ranking Members Dicks and Cochran, for their support in recognizing the unfunded transportation needs of Northern Virginia. The delegation welcomes this commitment to improve the roads surrounding Ft. Belvoir Main Post and the Mark Center. But our fight to prepare Northern Virginia for the impact of BRAC moves is not yet over," said Congressman Moran. "I reiterate my calls on the DoD to delay the full occupation of the Mark Center until sufficient transportation infrastructure is in place."

"These are important first steps to begin addressing the added traffic congestion that will be created by the Mark Center project and the Ft. Belvoir expansion, providing some relief to area residents, businesses, commuters, as well as the military and civilian workforce," Senator Warner said.

"Today's investment is a tribute to Congressman Moran's leadership and another positive step towards minimizing the impact of BRAC on Northern Virginia's already strained transportation infrastructure," said Senator Webb. "After drawing attention to this issue for nearly two years, I am also pleased that the Department of Defense has taken action and invested in critical BRAC projects to address traffic congestion at the Mark Center. I have every confidence that by working together across all levels of government we can resolve these critical transportation and infrastructure needs properly."

"With the deadline for BRAC completion less than six months away, the federal government has come late to the party to help Northern Virginia address the transportation challenges created by BRAC, but thankfully it has arrived. This new funding will help make significant improvements to the Richmond Highway, which is one of the two primary access routes for Fort Belvoir and the Army's new premier medical campus. It builds on the recent investments made by the Recovery Act to complete Fairfax County Parkway, but still falls short of what is needed to ensure BRAC is a success in our community," Congressman Connolly said. "I will continue to work with the regional delegation to create flexibility in Pentagon's criteria for funding off-base transportation improvements."

In February, the Virginia delegation applauded the release of a study by the National Academy of Sciences which concluded that the Pentagon's rules and policies for funding BRAC-related transportation improvements are inadequate to address congestion in urban and metropolitan areas, such as the National Capital Region.

Also announced this year, the Virginia Department of Transportation committed $80 million for construction of an access ramp from the I-395 HOV ramp to Seminary Road. Combined with the short and mid-term improvements funded by the Department of Defense, this construction serves as the final long-term road improvement associated with the Mark Center.

To read about the $20 million in DoD funding for Mark Center, please visit: http://moran.house.gov/apps/list/press/va08_moran/MarkCenterReprogram.shtml

To read about the National Academy of Sciences Study, please visit: http://moran.house.gov/list/press/va08_moran/nas.shtml

To read more on efforts to prepare for BRAC relocations, please visit: http://moran.house.gov/issues_brac.shtml