As part of a four-day swing through parts of western Virginia, US Senator Mark Warner (D) will visit Roanoke City today, April 12. According to a Press Release, at 4:00 PM in Roanoke, Sen. Warner will hold a press conference and get a first-hand look at the Wiley Drive Low Water Bridge, which has been the subject of recurrent flooding over the past decade, often ending up below water after heavy rainfalls. The Senator will be joined by Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea and representatives from the City Council in receiving an update from city staff on the condition of the bridge and the city’s overall infrastructure needs. Sen. Warner is also expected to discuss the record funding for bridges and surface transportation infrastructure made possible by his bipartisan infrastructure law.
On April 13, at 10:30 AM in Bedford County, Sen. Warner will sit down with local elected officials, as well as health, economic development and technology stakeholders for a conversation on deploying broadband and expanding access to telehealth. Sen. Warner is expected to deliver an update from Congress and hear about the broadband projects that are currently underway in Bedford County thanks to the robust federal funding provided through the COVID-19 relief bills and Sen. Warner’s bipartisan infrastructure law. This conversation comes amid efforts by Sen. Warner to expand access to the temporary telehealth flexibilities that allowed Virginians to more easily connect with their doctors during the pandemic. This expanded access is particularly important for people in rural or medically underserved communities who would otherwise have to travel long distances to receive basic medical care.