The Code of Virginia directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board to create an inventory of all construction needs for all transportation systems to be used in the development of Virginia’s Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan, known as Vtrans. 

For the highway component of the plan, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) historically developed  the Virginia State Highway Plan. In an effort to further coordinate transportation planning in Virginia, VDOT has incorporated long range highway planning recommendations for 2035 in the 2035 Virginia Surface Transportation Plan (VSTP). The 2035 VSTP is a coordinated effort between VDOT and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.  The VSTP contains specific recommendations for highway, rail, transit and transportation demand management; representing the first time Virginia's surface transportation agencies have coordinated recommendations across various modes in a single plan.

Click here to view the 2035 Virginia Surface Transportation Plan

Virginia’s long range highway planning recommendations are reviewed every four years by VDOT’s Transportation and Mobility Planning Division to ensure they contain the most up-to-date planning assumptions, analysis techniques and recommendations.

The highway element of the VSTP contains a list of recommendations for the interstate and primary highway systems, incorporating recommendations from:

• Existing corridor studies
• County thoroughfare plans and comprehensive plans
• Rural long-range plans (RLRPs)
• Small urban area studies (SUATS)
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations' constrained long-range plans (MPO CLRPs)
• The Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions program  (STARS)

 

The highway element of the VSTP incorporates:

• Pedestrian and bicycle facilities
• Intermodal connectors
• Park and ride lots

The highway element of the VSTP is not a financially constrained plan. It is intended to provide an inventory of recommended improvements needed to address capacity and safety issues on the interstate and primary systems statewide, regardless of funding.

Click here for information regarding the 2025 State Highway Plan.