VDOT sets public hearing for Va. 612/792 intersection work

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a design public hearing concerning the intersection of Route 612 (Laurel Hill Road) and Route 792 (Indian Mound Road and Riverside Avenue) near Verona. The meeting will be held onTuesday, October 29, 2013, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Augusta County Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane, Verona, VA 24482.

Citizens can come in during the meeting hours and discuss the project on a one-on-one basis with VDOT officials and designers. Written comments can be submitted at the meeting or within 10 days after the meeting date to Mr. Jason Hartman, Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA  24401-9029. Oral comments can be recorded at the meeting with the assistance of a court reporter.

The purpose of this project is to increase safety at the intersection of Route 612 and Route 792 by providing better sight distances and improving the alignment of the intersection. A left turn lane will be added on Route 612, and the “Y” configuration on the Route 792 south approach will be removed. The entrance to the nearby Energizer Holdings property will also be relocated to provide better sight distances and a safer alignment of the intersection.

No dwellings, businesses, schools, or industry will be displaced. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on Route 612 throughout the project.

Based on traffic counts from September 2012, Route 612 west of Route 792 currently has 6,737 vehicles per day and 4,874 vehicles per day east of Route 792.  By the year 2026, the traffic counts are anticipated to be 8,017 vehicles per day west of the intersection and 5,800 vehicles per day east of the intersection.

The total estimated cost for the project is $ 1,960,403, including $247,234 for preliminary engineering, $371,037 for right of way and $1,342,132 for construction. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2016.

More details on these proposed improvements can be found on the “Projects and Studies” portion of the VDOT web page. The direct link to this project is http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/staunton/augusta_county_–_route_612_and_route_792_intersection_improvements.asp

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

The Staunton District Twitter feed is at @VaDOTStaunton. VDOT can be followed on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.RSS feeds are also available for statewide information. The VDOT Web page is located at www.VirginiaDOT.org.