Priorities

Working with his colleagues from Virginia and Marlyand, including Senator Jim Webb and Congressman Jim Moran, Senator Warner successfully added $150 million to the FY2011 military construction appropriations bill to specifically address ways to mitigate current and future traffic congestion at Virginia's Fort Belvoir and Maryland's Bethesda Naval Hospital.

In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission adopted a plan to dramatically expand Fort Belvoir, including an additional 21,000 military and civilian personnel and $3 billion in construction, including a new military hospital.

The BRAC recommendation for Fort Belvoir will nearly double the population of the 25,000 military and civilian personnel who currently work at the installation, and it will add considerable strain to Northern Virginia's already clogged transportation network.

The $150 million is designated specifically for transportation and will help state and local officials work in partnership with the military to plan for the upcoming expansion at Fort Belvoir.  It also will help relieve potential commuter headaches along the already congested I95-Route 1 corridor, and help local governments continue to support the men and women who serve our nation's armed forces at Fort Belvoir.

Fort Belvoir is not the only military installation in Virginia that will see significant growth as a result of the 2005 BRAC round. Senator Warner also worked to appropriate nearly $500,000 to direct Pentagon officials to develop a more modern, scientifically-based formula for predicting the potential transportation issues created by potential changes in both the mission and size of its military installations across the country.

Senator Warner said of the provisions:

I believe both of these efforts further demonstrate the Commonwealth's commitment to support the tens of thousands of its citizens who serve in the military and contractor communities, and our desire to support those local governments who who serve as host communities for our military installations.