It may have not made too much play in Northern Virginia, where discussion surrounds the Dulles Rail [1] system these days, but the last few weeks have seen transportation come to the forefront again in Hampton Roads after a water main burst in the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel just days before the Independence Day weekend, causing huge delays and headaches.
Hence, today’s news [2] that the House GOP would like to have a legislative investigation into the incident (on top of the one being done by “state transportation officials”) to find out what went wrong.
Given that it was under the VDOT watch that this travesty occurred, it makes sense that Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer should have to answer questions from legislators this August about the incident, and that from this testimony a separate investigation conducted by Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) might be necessary.
That’s just good government.
Of course, Senate Democrats are quick to lay the foundation for a roadblock. The Pilot writes:
“[Sen. Yvonne] Miller [D-Norfolk], the Hampton Roads member of the transportation accountability panel, declined to take a position on whether another inquiry is warranted but warned against taking action that distracts VDOT from its core mission.”
You mean like its “core mission” of allowing a 52-year-old water main to burst?