Chesapeake is using $76M in COVID stimulus money on broadband, street and building repairs and more
Chesapeake is taking advantage of a $76 million infusion of federal dollars by prioritizing broadband and long-awaited capital improvement projects over the next few years.
The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was enacted last year to help state and local governments recover from the impacts of the pandemic. The City Council determined how the funds would be used after two public hearing sessions in April and May as the 2022-23 budget was discussed and adopted.
The city will use nearly half, or $33 million, to install a network of fiber-optic cables that will help provide affordable internet for schools, libraries and city facilities. Once completed in 2025, the network will also lay the groundwork for private investors to come in and offer high-speed internet to residents and businesses.
The remaining federal dollars will be used to fund more than 30 projects aimed at addressing citywide maintenance, street repaving, infrastructure repairs and safety improvements. The projects are on the city’s 2022-23 Capital Improvement Program list, which was developed alongside the budget.
The most significant are the modification, renewal and replacement of citywide facilities, a priority first identified in 2011. That includes major structural repairs and improvements to roofs, HVAC systems, security and alarm systems and ADA amenities. The city will use $8.5 million of ARPA funds for the $44 million project.
Chesapeake has at least 100 miles of rural roads that don’t meet today’s design standards. About $2.5 million in ARPA funding will go toward safety improvements to realign curves, relocate ditches and widen roads by 2026.
Another $8 million will aid the rehabilitation of the city’s other roadways. The conditions of Chesapeake’s road network will continue to deteriorate over the next five years, City Manager Chris Price has said, making future improvements even more expensive. The work is slated for completion by 2026.
About $3.5 million will help fund Route 168 northbound and southbound bridge repairs over Kempsville Road, Battlefield Boulevard and the C&A Canal. Those bridges are just shy of 40 years old, and restorative work is needed to sustain their long-term structural integrity, according to the project overview in the city budget.
A few beautification projects will receive a share of ARPA funding to enhance landscaping and pedestrian amenities at the city’s entry points, including $2 million for the Portsmouth Boulevard Gateway. That project, estimated to be complete by 2024, will improve the appearance of the Portsmouth Boulevard corridor near the Interstate 664 interchange, which serves as a major thoroughfare into the city.
As residential development and traffic increases along the Weiss Lane corridor, $2.5 million will aid the repaving and widening of 2,400 feet near Bertram Street. Weiss Lane has a two-lane narrow roadway with a shallow shoulder and open ditches, which pose safety risks. It’s estimated that project will be complete by the end of next year.
Many of the remaining projects on the capital improvement list will be funded primarily from the city’s general fund and state grants, but they’ll be supplemented with less than $1 million in ARPA funding per project.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com
