MAMaC receives $3.3 million from VDOT

Virginia Department of Transportation has awarded Greensville County a $3.3 million grant for the expansion of Otterdam Road to serve the Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing Center through the Revenue Sharing Program.

Otterdam Road, Hwy 614, is a crucial component of Greensville County’s capital and comprehensive plan. Otterdam Road is the main access road to the Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing Center, a Major Employment and Investment project being developed by a Regional Industrial Facilities Authority made up of Greensville County, Mecklenburg County and the City of Emporia. The Center is centrally located on the east coast directly off Interstate 95, Exit 13. It is conveniently located to the Virginia Port Authority, Rolls-Royce, and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Prince George. The localities and the Virginia Tobacco Commission have spent over $15,000,000 to develop the project area. Otterdam Road is a priority to the localities and the success of the project.

Otterdam road is currently a 16’ wide public road that is in the secondary road system of VDOT. The road is proposed to be expanded to a 24’ width with 1’ paved shoulder on each side. The plan also to includes a 3’ paved shoulder for pedestrian and bike traffic. The road will be improved a total of 4.2 miles in order to serve the entire project area. Reynolds Clark has been selected to engineer the road to construction ready documents.

VODT’s Revenue Sharing Program provides an excellent opportunity for localities to provide local funds to match state funds for priority projects. Each locality can request up to $10 million in state allocations. Without the Revenue Sharing funds the localities will not be able to build the road. This will lengthen the time for an industrial client to become operational. As we have recently seen with economic development projects Virginia has lost, speed to operation for a client is essential.

All allocations require a 1:1 match. Greensville County will apply to the Tobacco Commission this winter for the matching funds. If all funds are secured the road expansion construction will begin in Spring of 2014.