Hach also said he'd be more inclined to look favorably at a new interstate if the final decision were made by engineering experts. The choice of whether to build, and where, will be made by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which is made up of gubernatorial appointees. Building a road is a technological undertaking. You don't hire a pastry chef to build a computer. Candidates take I-73 en route to November Interstate 73 has overlaid itself on the road map of this fall's election campaign, with several Democrats lining up against its proposed route through Southeast Roanoke and Roanoke County.
Interstate opponents say historical sites and environmental issues are their best means of defense.
Henry County residents somehow got I-73 rerouted. The endangered fish, farm land and forests are concerns that may affect the federal approval of I-73. The new plan through Henry County will also cost just a little less to build. It won't be an interstate in West Virginia. In Virginia, the section from Bluefield to Roanoke is on the back burner.