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.
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The following are the proposed projects and estimated construction end dates for the 2009-2014 Six-Year State Secondary Road Plan worth $45 million that will be the subject of an Aug. 12 public hearing:
1. Hunter's Lodge Drive reconstructed to state standards (winter 2008) 2. Gordon Road/Chancellor Road turning lanes and traffic signal (April 2009) 3. Todd's Tavern Road reconstructed to state standards (summer 2010) 4. Bragg Road widening-State Route 3 to city line (September 2010) 5. Towles Mill Road (north) road improvements and paving (September 2010) 6. Towles Mill Road (south) road improvements and paving (September 2010) 7. Harrison Road West four-lane widening from Salem Church/Leavells roads to Carriage Hill Drive (summer 2013) 8. Leavells Road Bridge replacement over Massaponax Creek and raise road above 100-year flood plain (October 2013) 9. Harrison Road/U.S. 1 four-lane widening to Graningers Circle; close Loren Drive; dual northbound left-turn lanes; improve tractor-trailer turn radius south to west. (January 2014) 10. Lanes Corner Road improvements and paving (April 2014) 11. Grand Brooks Road improvements and paving (January 2017) |