This week, the governor’s transportation bill was introduced at the General Assembly.

At the outset, the bill appears to have strong support in the state Senate among both Democrats and Republicans. Of the 17 senators who are sponsoring the bill, 12 are Republicans and five are Democrats.

The chief patrons are a Republican from Southwest Virginia and a Democrat from Northern Virginia.

Speaking about the bill, the governor remarked, “There are no Democrat or Republican roads.”

He is absolutely correct.

The roads do, however, require funding.

This bill is in its early stages, and there is much yet to learn. There are the issues of debt and taxes, and a balanced budget that must be maintained. We will reserve judgment on the merits of the bill as a whole until more details become available and further study has been completed.

Yet we commend the governor for crafting legislation that accomplished two milestones: first for uniting both parties on an issue whose importance to the Commonwealth cannot be overstated; and second, for including a project of vital significance to Western Tidewater, the flyover exchange on Route 58 in Courtland.