Road plan lacking funds to go forward

The Virginia Department of Transportation has made recommendations for easing congestion at the intersection of U.S. 29 and Route 607 in Ruckersville, but it doesn’t have the money to carry them out.

“We need to add lanes to 607 from the intersection of 29,” Joel DiNunzio, speaking for VDOT, told the Greene County Board of Supervisors at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, January 12.

The Matthew Mills Road – or Route 607 – project was initiated in the fall of 2007 to make safety improvements to Route 607 from the intersection of Route 29 to the Orange County Line. There had been a significant increase in traffic along these roads in recent years due to development, and more development is expected.

In addition, the intersection at Route 607 and Preddy Creek Road, or Route 670, was to be redesigned – and allowances for the work were written into VDOT’s Six Year Plan for Greene County.

Possible scenarios to be considered included dual left turn lanes on the Route 607 approaches to 29 and a roundabout to decongest the intersection at 607 and 670.

But, DeNunzio told supervisors, a roundabout will not work.

“If you have a roundabout there without some sort of stop control at the red light traffic will back up at peak hours,” he explained.

Instead, VDOT’s recommendation calls for the widening of 29 from four to six lanes and increasing the northbound and southbound left turn lanes to include dual left turns. In addition, it is recommended that additional outlet points on 29 be constructed to relieve its intersection with 607 and encourage e good access management practices for future development.

Recommendations also call for a signal at the intersection of 607 and 670.

According to DeNunzio, preliminary estimates set a cost of between $4 million and $5 million to complete the work – but funding for the project was eliminated in final amendments to the Six Year Plan.

And that, said, John J. “Butch” Davies III, Culpeper District Representative to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, “is a real set back.”

“This project is one of two that VDOT had local funds or developer proffers that would help with the cost,” said Davies.

Developments coming to the area include The Rapidan Center, Deerfield Village and Midway Corner. Additionally, Sheetz is working on an expansion plan that includes relocating their entrance on 607. The VDOT project was to incorporate the needs and utilize the proffers associated with each of these developments to help with the 607 project.
Added Davies: “It is not good when VDOT negotiates agreements in good faith and then doesn’t have the funds to fulfill its commitments.” Now, he explained, the project is to be removed from the Six Year Plan and it will require an action by county supervisors to place it back in.

“But what is of real concern is the lack of funding for secondary and primary roads,” he continued. “There is no secondary road funding for any new construction for six years.”

In the meantime, the CTB has accepted a Route 29 Multi-Modal Corridor Study that calls for, among other things,  far fewer entrance and exit points and more parallel roads along the thoroughfare, all the way from the North Carolina State line to Route 66 in Prince William County.

But while federal funds can be used to improve U.S. 29, if there are any, said Davies, they will be used in Gainsville.