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Supervisors weigh road projects
CORRECTION: The Towles Mill Road south improvements and paving are scheduled to be completed in September 2012, according to the state six-year secondary road plan that is the subject of an Aug. 12 public hearing. The finish date was incorrect in this story.
Date published: 7/9/2008
BY DAN TELVOCK
Spotsylvania County's supervisors struggled last night trying to balance improving heavily traveled roads with paving dirt roads that get a lot less traffic. In the end, dirt roads won. They approved a plan that should pave six dirt roads by 2010. Supervisors had recently come under fire from residents who want their dirt roads paved. Capital Projects Director Becky Golden recommended spending $2.8 million in 2005 bond money to improve and pave the following roads: Ham's Ford, Sunnybrooke Farm, Tribble, Pepper Tree, Glady Fork and Stewart. The funds are available by postponing the widening of Harrison Road from Salem Church Road to Carriage Hill to tie it in with the Harrison Connector Road project that the Cafaro Co. will be building, which Golden said will save the county money. She said this scenario would not jeopardize the Harrison Road projects. Spotsylvania Traffic Engineer Dan Cole and Transportation Planner Rodney White studied the 33 unpaved roads in the county and determined that these six roads are in the worst condition. Golden also said the Virginia Department of Transportation agreed to change design requirements for rural roads, which cut costs to improve and pave the 33 rural roads from about $41 million to about $14 million. She said that all of the roads could be improved and paved within 6 years with current 2005 bond money. Supervisors Gary Jackson and Hap Connors didn't want to spend the $2.8 million outside of the Harrison Road project. "We have limited money, and there may not be money when the time comes to re-account for this," Jackson said. The vote to approve the plan was 4-2, with Connors abstaining and Jackson and Supervisor Benjamin Pitts voting no. Connors said he didn't vote because he wants more information about the plan. The money will be borrowed in June 2009. The supervisors also agreed to hold a hearing on Aug. 12 for the $45 million state secondary 6-year road plan with 11 road projects that includes improving and paving three dirt roads.
Date published: 7/9/2008
that Mr. Connors did not want to spend the money outside of Harrison; yet when it was time to vote he abstained. Said he wanted more info. IT WAS VOTE TIME and more info won't matter now. Sounds to me like Mr. Connors wanted it both ways.
Macklin Road off Rt 628 has been unpaved for the past 36 years. This road was added to the Rural Addition Program in 1987.
Macklin road was approved by the Spotsylvania Planning Commission in May of 1973.
Supervisor Gary Jackson where are you on this issue? Rembember that the voters in Salem Disrict are your stakeholders. Your term limit should be shortened.
You are definitely out of touch!
Macklin Road off Rt 628 has been unpaved for the past 36 years. This road was added to the Rural Addition Program in 1987.
Macklin road was approved bt the Spotsylvania Planning Commission in May of 1973.
Supervisor Gary Jackson where are you on this issue? Rembember that the voters in Salem Disrict are your stakeholders. Your term limit should be shortened.
You are definitely out of touch!
I wonder how many folks who want their roads paved also travel on Routes 1 & 3 - especially when they need to get transported to MWH.
The county could help the folks with unpaved roads - set up funding districts - to cost share the paving.. and then pay it over over a number of years.
If you bought a lot or home on an unpaved road, you'd paid less than the folks that paid for a lot or home on a paved road - and so it's only fair to expect some level of cost sharing to upgrade these roads in a timely manne
I think everyone misses the point that this money was approved in 2005 by the voters of Spotsylvania County for funding specific projects. And to date not one dime has been spent on what was voted for. I for one would really like to see less emphasis placed on the route 3 corridor and let us see some improvement where it has been needed for decades. If you only moved to the county in the last ten years and live off of rt 3 you chose that way of life and should wait like everyone else.
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