Drivers should pay careful attention when traveling on Route 743 (Hydraulic Road) near Route 657 (Lambs Road/Whitewood Road) in Albemarle County next week due to a new traffic pattern.
Starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, VDOT contract crews will update the pavement markings on Lambs Road to provide separate lanes for left turns, through traffic and right turns. Whitewood Road has been milled and will be resurfaced with updated pavement markings when weather permits. No lane changes are planned for Hydraulic Road.
By 5 a.m. Wednesday, the upgraded traffic signal, which includes flashing yellow arrows for turning traffic, will be activated. Instead of a solid green ball, a yellow arrow will flash to indicate that drivers may turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic. Traffic turning left onto Hydraulic Road from Whitewood Road and Lambs Road will able to move at the same time after yielding to oncoming traffic.
Drivers traveling through the intersection overnight Tuesday should obey all traffic controls and expect brief delays.
In addition to improving safety, the flashing yellow arrow provides an important behind-the-scenes benefit: operational flexibility. The new signals allow VDOT to make changes to the order in which traffic proceeds, as well as adjust the duration of the left-turn movement during busier times of day based on traffic volumes. Doing so helps VDOT maximize the flow of traffic.
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Chris Graham
