Vdot news - April 13

TRAFFIC ALERT FOR WEEK OF April 14 – April 18, 2008

Highway work zones in the Staunton District



The following is a list of highway work that might affect traffic in the Staunton transportation district during the coming weeks. The Staunton district is comprised of 11 counties, Alleghany, Bath , Rockbridge, Augusta, Highland , Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Page, Warren and Clarke. Work scheduled is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. Also, when traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.



(NEW) _ Indicates a new or revised entry since last week’s report.

AUGUSTA COUNTY

Interstate 64

No activity reported.



Interstate 81

* Mile markers 205 to 237 – Northbound and southbound lanes, debris clean up on Monday and Tuesday.

* Northbound and southbound lanes, county wide debris clean up.

* Various locations –Guardrail installation. Alternating lane and shoulder closures both northbound and southbound. Night work - 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.



Primary Roads

* Route 11 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* Route 11 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 42 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* (NEW) Route 42 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 250 –Trucks entering from Route 636 between Route 637 to Route 358, and from Route 608 between Route 608 to Route 1360.

* Route 250 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* (NEW) Route 250 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 252 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* (NEW) Route 252 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 254 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* (NEW) Route 254 – County wide debris clean up.

* (NEW) Route 254 – Bridge over Middle River , located just east of Route 833. Bridge repair with single lane traffic. Traffic will be controlled by temporary traffic signals.

* Route 256 – County wide debris clean up. Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* Route 256 – At Route 276, grading and drainage work. Lane closures with flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* Route 262 – Debris clean up from I-81 to Route 11 in Verona on Wednesday.

* Route 262 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 262 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* Route 275 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 275 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* Route 276 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* (NEW) Route 276 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 285 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* (NEW) Route 285 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 340 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping in the Verona and Fishersville area.

* Route 340 – County wide debris clean up.

* Route 340 – Bridge, curb and gutter sweeping.

* Various Roads – Guardrail installation with alternating lane and shoulder closures. Traffic controlled by flaggers. Night work - 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.



Secondary Roads

* Route 609 – Tree trimming from Route 609 to Route 651 during daylight hours.

* (NEW) Route 611 – Brush cutting with boom axe from Route 865 to Route 611. Mobile operation – use caution.

* Route 621 ( Sandy Ridge Road ) – Between Route 823 and Route 611. Work-site truck traffic for sub-division road construction. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 625 – Tree trimming from Route 285 to Dead End. Work during daylight hours.

* Route 627 – Tree trimming from Route 285 to Dead End. Work during daylight hours.

* (NEW) Route 628 – Brush cutting from Route 612 to Route 340. Flaggers will control traffic.

* Route 644 – Tree trimming from Staunton City Limits to Route 11.Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 660 – Tree trimming from Route 610 to Dead End. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 697 – Tree trimming from Route 11 north to Route 11 south. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 697 – Tree trimming from Route 11 to Route 695. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 717 – Tree trimming from Route 11 north to Route 11 south. Work is during daylight hours.

* (NEW) Route 778 – Brush cutting with boom axe from Route 608 to Route 865. Mobile operation – use caution.

* (NEW) Route 781 – Brush cutting with boom axe from Route 11 to Route 780. Mobile operation – use caution.

* Route 815 – Tree trimming from Route 11 to End of State Maintenance. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 822 – Tree trimming from Route 250 to End of State Maintenance. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 848 – Tree trimming from Route 610 to End of State Maintenance. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 893 – Tree trimming from Route 679 to End of State Maintenance. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 898 – Tree trimming from Route 608 to End of State Maintenance. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 903 – Tree trimming from Route 693 to End of State Maintenance. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 913 – Tree trimming from Route 912 to Route 912. Work is during daylight hours.

* Route 914 – Tree trimming from Route 608 to Route 635. Work during daylight hours.

* Route 933 – Tree trimming from Route 340 south to End of State Maintenance. Work during daylight hours.

* Route 1201 – Tree trimming from Route 11 to Route 662. Work during daylight hours.

* Route 1319 ( Westminster Drive ) – No delays expected between Route 1360 and Route 608, for truck traffic sub-division road construction. Work is daylight hours.

* Route 1404– Tree trimming from Route 635 to Route 644. Work during daylight hours.

* Route 1621 (Beagle Gap Run) – From Wild Cat Cove to Beagle Gap Forest . Trucks entering work for sub-division road construction. Work is daylight hours.

* (NEW) Various Roads – Machining, brush cutting, patching, shoulder repair, stone stabilization and scraping on various non-hard surfaced roads. Bridge sweeping, curb and gutter sweeping, as well as debris clean up in the Verona , Fishersville and Swoope area. Lane closures and flaggers may be used at various locations. Work will be weekdays during daylight hours.



Downsized Six-Year Plan Hearings Kick Off April 16



RICHMOND , Va. – The Commonwealth of Virginia will host six public hearings across the state in April and May to receive public input on a scaled down program for highway and transit improvements.

Hearings will be held at the following locations:

Wednesday April 16, 5 p.m. Monday, April 21, 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, 6 p.m.

Holiday Inn Select VDOT Bristol District Office VDOT Central Office

Downtown Auditorium Auditorium

601 Main Street 870 Bonham Road 1221 E. Broad Street

Lynchburg, VA 24504 Bristol , VA 24201 Richmond , VA 23219



Thursday, April 24, 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, 7:30 p.m.

Hampton Roads Planning Rockingham County No. Virginia Community College

District Regional Building Administration Center Ernst Cultural Ctr. Forum Area

723 Woodlake Drive 20 East Gay Street 8333 Little River Turnpike

Chesapeake, VA 23320 Harrisonburg , VA 22802 Annandale, VA 22003



Six-year transportation revenue projections are down $1.1 billion from a year ago. These revenue shortfalls will result in a 44 percent reduction in funding for primary, secondary and urban highway construction, and a 10 percent reduction in transit allocations.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board has had to scale back the program. “We continue our focus on safety and projects in the pipeline to make the most of the funds we have available,” said Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer. “Our primary and local roads will take the hardest hit because they are funded last and with state dollars,” he added.

Interstate highway construction projects, funded primarily by federal funds, are not significantly affected by these reductions in state funds.

Lists of specific projects and changes from the current plan will be available at each public hearing and on VDOT’s website at http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/syp-default.asp.

DRAFT SECONDARY STREET ACCEPTANCE REQUIREMENTS AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT
Regulations intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness of local highway network





RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced today that proposed secondary street acceptance requirements are available for public comment. The requirements ensure that streets accepted into the state system for perpetual public maintenance provide long-term public benefit.

The proposed regulation is a result of legislation proposed by Gov. Tim Kaine and unanimously approved during the 2007 General Assembly session. The legislation directs the Commonwealth Transportation Board, to include the following concepts in regulation:

· Requirements to ensure the connectivity of road and pedestrian networks with the existing and future transportation network

· Provisions to minimize storm water runoff and impervious surface area

· Quality assurance provisions for new secondary streets and associated cost recovery fees if the new roads do not perform to acceptable standards

The proposed regulations were developed by VDOT staff with input from technical and implementation advisory committees comprised of representatives from local governments, developers, environmental advocates and other stakeholder groups. This regulation will replace existing subdivision street requirements.

The regulations and additional information can be found at www.VirginiaDOT.org/projects/ssar and will be published on the Regulatory Town Hall on April 14, 2008. Public comment will be accepted through June 30 and reviewed by VDOT technical team, the Implementation Advisory Committee and the Commonwealth Transportation Board as the regulations are finalized.



VDOT will hold several public meetings to collect oral and written feedback on the proposed regulations. These are scheduled for:

* April 30 at 4 p.m. in Harrisonburg : Rockingham County Administration Center , 20 East Gay Street , Harrisonburg , VA , 22802
* May 7 at 4 p.m. in Bristol : VDOT Bristol District Office Auditorium, 870 Bonham Road , Bristol , VA , 24201

· May 14 at 5:30 p.m. in Fairfax : Northern Virginia Community College Ernst Cultural Center Forum Area, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale , VA , 22003
· May 21 at 4 p.m. in Richmond : VDOT Central Office Auditorium, 1221 East Broad Street , Richmond , VA , 23219

VDOT will provide local staff and developers with a guidance document and support as these regulations are implemented. As part of this initiative, VDOT will review its Subdivision Street Design Guide to determine necessary modifications, if any, to better integrate transportation and land use. VDOT welcomes comments and suggestions on the structure, format and content of the guidance document as well as comments on its current street design standards.

I-81 VIRGINIA WELCOME CENTER AT CLEAR BROOK BOASTS SPACE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES



WINCHESTER – The new Interstate 81 Virginia Welcome Center at Clear Brook and the Virginia Department of Transportation Safety Rest Area offers spacious facilities for travelers and the local community and is an environmental and energy efficient building. The welcome center and safety rest area is the latest of three such Virginia facilities to be constructed and opened to the public. The first facility is located along Interstate 64 westbound lanes in New Kent. The second building is along I-95 South near Fredericksburg . Each of the three meets the standards of the Virginia Green initiative.



Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner David Ekern said, “This new facility is not only a statement of welcome to all travelers entering the Commonwealth, it is a statement reflecting Virginia ’s long love of natural beauty, hospitality and environmental stewardship.”



The Clear Brook facility is over 15,000 square feet and contains display areas, an education room and offices for the Virginia Tourism Corporation. The VTC manages welcome center operations in all of Virginia ’s welcome centers. The building also houses full rest area amenities, including restrooms, vending machines, landscaped sidewalks and picnic areas and separate car and truck parking. Informational kiosks are available for travelers to use. The structure is also fully handicap accessible.



“A facility such as this gives us the best opportunity to serve people,” said Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Visitors can come in and create their own itineraries, get travel information, talk with our travel counselors and be entertained in the process. Virginia ’s Welcome Centers are key to our mission of getting visitors to stay longer in Virginia and spend more money in our state.

The building is constructed to meet United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The construction methods included:



* Saving taxpayer dollars by reducing construction debris and reusing portions of the old demolished Welcome Center building.
* Installing efficient plumbing fixtures that save over 688,000 gallons of water per year.
* Utilizing long-lasting , durable recycled glass terrazzo flooring in the main areas.
* Installing a geothermal heat pump system to condition the building, saving over $9500 in taxpayer dollars per year.
* Utilizing over 50% regionally sourced materials, which reduces pollution from transportation and helps support the local economy.

The construction of the Clear Brook facility is part of a $20 million General Assembly special appropriation, which provided for improvements to 11 Virginia safety rest areas and three welcome centers. Construction was done by Charles Ricketts Construction Co. of Winchester.

For more information about Virginia ’s safety rest areas and welcome centers, go to VirginiaDOT.org and click on the Travel Center page. To learn more about travel in Virginia , visit www.Virginia.org

APRIL 8 CEREMONY MARKS GRAND OPENING OF NEW VIRGINIA WELCOME CENTER AT CLEAR BROOK



WINCHESTER – The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Tourism Corporation will host a “Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting” ceremony at the newly constructed Virginia Welcome Center at Clear Brook. The facility, located on Interstate 81 in Frederick County , houses the Welcome Center and Virginia Department of Transportation Safety Rest Area. The new 15,000 square-foot building replaces the former 2,800 square-foot building, which was constructed in 1970.

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 8. Over 25 exhibitors will share information and products found in Virginia . The exhibits will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m.

The ceremony will feature Charles H. Weiss as master of ceremonies. Remarks will be made by Alisa Bailey, President and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corp. and Dr. James Davis of the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner David Ekern will give the keynote address. A flag ceremony will be performed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9760. Special acknowledgement will be made to the family of the late Wayne A. Whitham, who served as Virginia ’s first Secretary of Transportation from 1972 to 1978.

The public is welcome to attend the event. Parking is limited.
The Welcome Center and Safety Rest Area is located along the I-81 southbound lanes near mile marker 320 and serves as Virginia ’s northern gateway for travelers entering the Commonwealth of Virginia from West Virginia .

Watch out for Orange-Vested Adopt-a-Highway Volunteers

Many will participate in statewide litter pickup April 12



RICHMOND – Spring brings out orange-breasted robins picking at bugs and worms in our yards and orange-vested Adopt-a-Highway volunteers picking up litter along Virginia roadsides. Weather permitting, on Saturday, April 12, you’ll see more volunteers than usual as they clean litter from their adopted roadsides during the annual statewide spring cleanup day.



To help ensure the volunteers’ safety, motorists should look out for large orange “Cleanup Crew Working” signs and drive cautiously as they pass volunteers wearing bright orange vests and carrying bright orange bags.


The Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) Adopt-a-Highway program involves volunteers in nearly 11,000 groups who agree to clean up their adopted stretch of road at least four times a year for two years. Participants are particularly encouraged to carry out one of their four pickups during the annual spring event to spruce up the commonwealth for Historic Garden Week (April 19-27 this year).

About 20,000 miles, or more than one quarter of Virginia ’s state roads have been adopted by volunteers, who annually provide the equivalent of approximately $3 million in litter control services to the commonwealth.

The Adopt-a-Highway program started in Texas in 1985 and has helped generate related programs such as Adopt-a-Spot, Adopt-a-Street, Adopt-a-Stream and Assign-a-Highway. VDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program began 20 years ago, and it is one of the largest in the country.

For more information, go to the Adopt-a-Highway pages of VirginiaDOT.org or call 1-800-PRIDE-VA (1-800-774-3382).