$35 million will go to seven design-build contracts to replace or repair 119 bridges and culverts, 112 of which are structurally deficient, across the state. Two central Virginia bridges are included:
  $588,776 will go to replace the deck of the U.S. 60 westbound bridge over Toe Ink Swamp in New Kent County; and
  $776,390 will go to replace the superstructure of the state Route 684 bridge over Muddy Creek in Powhatan County.

Right tackle was supposed to be the must-watch position battle for the Washington Redskins through training camp and preseason. Which of the three candidates would replace longtime favorite Jon Jansen? Would the winner be a sufficient anchor on a line that didn’t perform well in the second half of last season? The battle turned into a no-contest. Partly by default, partly through performance, Stephon Heyer will start Sept. 13 when the Redskins open the regular season at the New York Giants. The third-year player who wasn’t drafted out of Maryland has shown more than the veterans brought in to compete against him.

The Virginia Department of Transportation will advertise about $176 million in paving and bridge projects for construction bids today, the first of the federal highway stimulus work to hit the street in Virginia. An additional $75 million in highway jobs will likely follow next week. “We’re going to be moving them as quickly as we can,“ said Malcolm T. Kerley, VDOT ‘s chief engineer.

Henrico County: Repaving of 9.8 miles of Interstate 295’s southbound lanes between Interstate 64 and U.S. 33, estimated to cost $8.36 million.
  Dinwiddie and Amelia counties: Overlaying of 46.2 miles of U.S. 360 and 460, estimated to cost $2.95 million.
  New Kent County: Replacement of the deck on the U.S. 60 bridge over Toe Ink Swamp, estimated at $550,000.

Commuter rail service from Fredericksburg is sold out for Inauguration Day, as travelers look for ways to enter and leave the nation’s capital without a vehicle. The Virginia Railway Express sold its last ticket yesterday for 15 trains scheduled to run each way on Tuesday, when two major interstates and all of the bridges to Washington will be closed to personal vehicles.