VDOT has scheduled a public hearing for Thursday, Oct. 29, in Staunton, on proposed corridor improvements in the Greenville Avenue area.
The public hearing will be held from 4-6 p.m. at Bessie Weller Elementary School in Staunton.
The plans for the section of Greenville Avenue between Statler Boulevard and Commerce Road involve the construction of a so-called “road diet” – which typically removes one or more travel lanes and utilizes the space for other uses or travel modes.
That stretch of Greenville Avenue is currently five lanes wide, with two through lanes in each direction and a two-way left-turn lane in the center of the roadway.
The idea for the “road diet”:
- a single travel lane in each direction will serve motor vehicle traffic.
- a median will replace portions of the center turn lane to limit the number of full access points and reduce crashes; the median will consist of grass in some locations and concrete in others.
- from Statler Boulevard to just south of Richmond Avenue (Route 250), the right lane in each direction will be converted to a five-foot-wide bicycle lane with a four-foot buffer separating it from vehicle traffic.
- between Richmond Avenue and Commerce Road, the bike lane will transition to a shared-use path and connect to a planned shared-used path on Commerce Road.
- sidewalk construction will close gaps in existing sidewalks between Statler Boulevard and Commerce Road; other pedestrian improvements include crosswalks and ADA-compliant curb ramps.
The total estimated cost for this project is $3.9 million. This includes $750,000 for preliminary engineering, $100,000 for right of way and utility relocation, and $3.1 million for construction.
Additional information is on the VDOT project page.