Prince William County is planning to freeze hiring in a transportation program and has indefinitely stopped numerous roads projects as budget concerns mount.
Seven road projects are on hold due to a lack of revenues from bond sales, including Route 28, Route 1 and Prince William Parkway.
The agency that handles bonds for roads projects has eight vacancies, only one of which is expected to be filled. Employees are beginning to leave because the budget is not expected to improve anytime soon, County Executive Craig Gerhart said.
Most of the positions have not been filled because county officials are not sure when the roads projects will be able to start up again, and the county plans to recommend an official hiring freeze.
The county Department of Transportation undertakes road projects that voters approve through road bond referendums. Once projects are approved, the county is authorized to sell bonds to fund the projects.
Gerhart said that because the road bonds are paid through issuing debt, and the debt service cannot legally exceed 10 percent of revenues, road projects figure to be severely hampered, given current cash restrictions.
Because of the housing market’s struggles this year, there was a decline in revenue from real estate, so the county cannot issue as many bonds, county spokeswoman Liz Bahrns said.
Four road projects were started in 2005, five in 2006 and four in 2007, but only one in 2008. Even with current revenue restrictions, three are planned for 2009, six for 2010 and two for 2011, but none afterward if current revenue and budget trends hold, according to a county report.
Prince William supervisors last week voted to slash more than $1 million from local agencies because of cutbacks due to state revenue shortfalls.
Gerhart said the county planned to continue construction on the new Route 1 south project because it already bought most of the rights-of-way necessary to complete the project, and to stop it would be “a pretty massive breaking of faith with the community.”
Gridlock: Prince William road projects on hold
- Route 1 (Dale Boulevard to Featherstone)
- Route 28 (Vint Hill Road to Route 234)
- Minnieville Road (Spriggs Road to Route 234)
- Prince William Parkway (Hoadly Road to Minnieville Road)
- University Boulevard
- Route 28 (Vint Hill Road to Fitzwater Drive)
- Rollins Ford Road
