1.8.19 NPS Colonial Parkway Letter

Congress of the United States Washington, BE 20510 January 8, 2018 The Honorable EI Secretary ULS. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE ‘Washington, DC 20590-0001 1 Chao Dear Secretary Chao, We write today in support of the National Park Service’s application to the U.S, Department of ‘Transportation’s Nationally Significant Federal Land and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) Program. seeking funding to rehabilitate a portion of the Colonial Parkway at Colonial National Historical Park (COLO). If approved, the project will restore an 11.8-mile section of the Parkway between Williamsburg and Yorktown, Virginia Completed in 1957, the Colonial Parkway is a 23-mile scenic roadway that extends from the York River at Yorktown to the James River at Jamestown. The Parkway connects Virginia's Historic Triangle: Historie Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown Battlefields — three of the most historically significant sites in our county. In addition to linking these historic sites, the Parkway has become an important local commuter route in Eastern Virginia; some sections carry over four million vehicles per year and the Federal Highway Administration predicts a traffic increase of nearly 50 percent over the next 20 years. The Park Service's proposed project along the Colonial Parkway will address significant safety and flooding concerns, preserve and improve access to historical sites like Jamestown and Yorktown Battlefield, and extend the useful life of the Parkway by more than 40 years. If funded, the project will replace deteriorated concrete roadway slabs, rehabilitate deficient, drainage systems, and stabilize roadway embankments along the York River. In addition, the proposed project on the Colonial Parkway would address a significant portion of Colonial National Historical Park’s $420 million deferred maintenance backlog. ‘The views along the Colonial Parkway continue to inspire, but the Parkway, designed and built between 1931 and 1957, is in desperate need of repair. The 50-year design life expired a generation ago for much of the Parkway. Significant rehabilitation and reconstruction are essential to preserve this scenic and historic drive for generations to come. This proposed project will help maintain this historic Parkway as an icon of the Park Service’s road network and as a primary visitor experience linking major historic sites of the Colonial National Historical Park.We understand the NSFLTP grant program is highly competitive and we appreciate your consideration of this project. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about our request ‘Thank you again for your consideration. Sincerely, Mark R. Warner Tim Kaine United States Senator United States Senator Eline G. Luria’ ‘Member of Congress