Virginia

[cpzilliacus]

WRC-TV (NBC4) in Washington: Road Resurfacing Project Causing Unwelcomed Dust Up

A community in Northern Virginia is upset, because their road was repaved. It is an unusual sentiment, but they said the new surface around their homes is kicking up all sorts of dust and debris and ruining their quality of life.

A road in Amissville, Virginia, in Culpeper County, was fine the way it was, according to residents in the area. However, the Virginia Department of Transportation came in and started putting down tar and gravel, called chip and seal pavement, which met with disapproval from those living along the road.

"You've got dust that's 30, 40, 50 feet in the air, just plastering you," said John Beck.

Post Merge: September 16, 2016, 07:40:55 PM

A community in Northern Virginia is upset, because their road was repaved. It is an unusual sentiment, but they said the new surface around their homes is kicking up all sorts of dust and debris and ruining their quality of life.

It was not repaved.  It was "oiled" and then "chipped."  At some point, VDOT's contractor will return and "oil" the chipped surface, and it will be back to the way it was.

Montgomery County, Maryland used to do this sort of treatment on most or all of its subdivision streets, but stopped doing it after complaints like the above.

[74/171FAN]

A community in Northern Virginia is upset, because their road was repaved. It is an unusual sentiment, but they said the new surface around their homes is kicking up all sorts of dust and debris and ruining their quality of life.

It was not repaved.  It was "oiled" and then "chipped."  At some point, VDOT's contractor will return and "oil" the chipped surface, and it will be back to the way it was.

Montgomery County, Maryland used to do this sort of treatment on most or all of its subdivision streets, but stopped doing it after complaints like the above.

I am currently on a bridge project as a part of my job, and maintenance this week has been doing chip and seal on a portion of the detour for the bridge closure.  None of us are very happy about that though the dust did not seem to be that bad when I drove on it this morning.

Also this has been done in the subdivision where my parents live before when I was younger.  The whole neighborhood was not pleased to say it lightly.

[cpzilliacus]

I am currently on a bridge project as a part of my job, and maintenance this week has been doing chip and seal on a portion of the detour for the bridge closure.  None of us are very happy about that though the dust did not seem to be that bad when I drove on it this morning.

Also this has been done in the subdivision where my parents live before when I was younger.  The whole neighborhood was not pleased to say it lightly.

Never thought it was that awful (and I saw Montgomery County, Maryland do it for many years with no complaint), including the streets in Silver Spring where I grew up.  Then someone complained, the news media got going on it (I think this was pre-Internet days), and the county agreed to not do it any more.

Not sure what they do now to extend the life of pavement on lower-volume roads (I have seen some have been treated with the process used by Slurry Pavers out of Richmond, Virginia).

The chipping and sealing process was done on roads that had (relatively) low speeds (at least in theory) and (relatively) low volumes of traffic (at least in theory).

The highest speed limit on roads I have seen it done was 30 MPH.

Not sure why, but after that second coat of oil was applied to the chips, the streets smelled more like a kind of chocolate than they did petroleum. 

[74/171FAN]

The highest speed limit on roads I have seen it done was 30 MPH.

The road I am referring to has a speed limit of 45 MPH and is somewhat curvy with a few hills.  I also think I remember it being done on rural roads in Prince George County at times as well but not knowing what it was.

[hbelkins]

I drove the gravel portion of VA 91 today. Why this route is on the state primary system is beyond me. Quality-wise, it's a step above SR 623 that runs from VA 42 to Burke's Garden (no major ruts) but it ought to be a secondary.

[Bitmapped]

The highest speed limit on roads I have seen it done was 30 MPH.

The road I am referring to has a speed limit of 45 MPH and is somewhat curvy with a few hills.  I also think I remember it being done on rural roads in Prince George County at times as well but not knowing what it was.

Chip-seal is frequently used on state routes in Ohio and Pennsylvania with a 55mph speed limit. I've also seen it used on primary and secondary state routes in Virginia with 55 speed limits including US 250 in Highland County and VA 311 in Craig County.

[cpzilliacus]

The highest speed limit on roads I have seen it done was 30 MPH.

The road I am referring to has a speed limit of 45 MPH and is somewhat curvy with a few hills.  I also think I remember it being done on rural roads in Prince George County at times as well but not knowing what it was.

Chip-seal is frequently used on state routes in Ohio and Pennsylvania with a 55mph speed limit. I've also seen it used on primary and secondary state routes in Virginia with 55 speed limits including US 250 in Highland County and VA 311 in Craig County.

Was not aware that VDOT had done it on primary  system roads.

The AADT on U.S. 250 in Highland County is pretty low:

about 330 (!) at the West Virginia line in 2015; and
about 1100 east of Monterey.

Though with a 55 MPH speed limit, I wonder if VDOT gets angry phone calls and e-mails from people claiming "damaged" paint jobs on their cars?

[Thing 342]

The highest speed limit on roads I have seen it done was 30 MPH.

The road I am referring to has a speed limit of 45 MPH and is somewhat curvy with a few hills.  I also think I remember it being done on rural roads in Prince George County at times as well but not knowing what it was.

Chip-seal is frequently used on state routes in Ohio and Pennsylvania with a 55mph speed limit. I've also seen it used on primary and secondary state routes in Virginia with 55 speed limits including US 250 in Highland County and VA 311 in Craig County.

Which part of VA-311? I drove it last weekend, and while my chipseal-recognition abilities are not that great, I didn't notice any major rough patches.

Put your text out of quote.  -Mark

[Bitmapped]

The highest speed limit on roads I have seen it done was 30 MPH.

The road I am referring to has a speed limit of 45 MPH and is somewhat curvy with a few hills.  I also think I remember it being done on rural roads in Prince George County at times as well but not knowing what it was.

Chip-seal is frequently used on state routes in Ohio and Pennsylvania with a 55mph speed limit. I've also seen it used on primary and secondary state routes in Virginia with 55 speed limits including US 250 in Highland County and VA 311 in Craig County.

Which part of VA-311? I drove it last weekend, and while my chipseal-recognition abilities are not that great, I didn't notice any major rough patches.

It was between Paint Bank and the WV line at Peters Mountain. This was probably around 2010. It looks like this section received a 2" asphalt overlay last year per http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/resources/071113/SALEM-CY15.pdf.

[74/171FAN]

Contracts awarded by CTB:  (from VDOT's website)

I-64/I-264 Interchange Improvement to improve access to I-264 EB and VA 403/Newtown Rd from I-64 WB.

I-81 Bridges over New River and VA 232 Bridge over I-81 Replacements near Radford

[74/171FAN]

US 19 Lebanon Bypass and the US 19/460 Tazewell Bypass are both finally getting 65 mph speed limits.  I remember the Tazewell Bypass still being 55 when I went to the Pikeville meet in October 2013.

Also a 2.5 miles section of US 23/58/421 near Gate City is being raised to 60 from 55.

[AlexandriaVA]

https://www.arlnow.com/2016/10/17/county-board-approves-pedestrian-only-streets-in-arlington/

County Board Approves Pedestrian-Only Streets in Arlington

The Arlington County Board has approved adding pedestrian-only streets and low-speed "shared streets"  to its transportation repertoire.

[74/171FAN]

Contract awarded for I-95/SR 630 Interchange and SR 630 Widening at Stafford CH.

[Mapmikey]

Contract awarded for I-95/SR 630 Interchange and SR 630 Widening at Stafford CH.

Note that the 4th general lane addition to I-95 that was to be a part of this project was not included due to the funding not being secured for this add-on...

[74/171FAN]

The I-64 Phase 2 (VA 238 (Exit 247) to VA 199 (Exit 242) widening in Hampton Roads begins next week.

[74/171FAN]

Update on I-64 widening to 6 lanes between Richmond and Newport News:  It may be awhile before the funding is secured for the rest. 

There is a public hearing December 6th for planned safety improvements on US 15/17/29 just north of Opal.

[amroad17]

The I-64 Phase 2 (VA 238 (Exit 247) to VA 199 (Exit 242) widening in Hampton Roads begins next week.

Inching their way closer to Williamsburg. 

[Thing 342]

Drove through the project area the other day. The portion up to the Industrial Park Dr. bridge looks like it could open soon (asphalt laid and jersey barrier standing), but the rest is further behind

[74/171FAN]

There is a public hearing December 6th for planned safety improvements on US 15/17/29 just north of Opal.

Not directly related, however, VDOT plans this month to close the frontage road (old US 17 SB) to actually force traffic to use the loop ramp.  The Sheetz at the intersection seems concerned though.

[cpzilliacus]

There is a public hearing December 6th for planned safety improvements on US 15/17/29 just north of Opal.

Not directly related, however, VDOT plans this month to close the frontage road (old US 17 SB) to actually force traffic to use the loop ramp.  The Sheetz at the intersection seems concerned though.

I have not been that way for a while, but that Sheetz in Opal is one of the biggest I have seen anywhere, and I can understand that they would be unhappy with anything that might reduce patronage, especially from trips following U.S. 17 southbound, since it sounds like this change would make that Sheetz very difficult to gain access to and then return  to 17 southbound toward Fredericksburg.

[74/171FAN]

WRIC (from Richmond):  Man petitioning for safety measures on Rt. 10 for a year seriously injured on same road


For the record, I think the plans for the VA 10 widening from Bermuda Triangle Rd to Meadowbrook Rd are on Chesterfield County's website somewhere, but I do not have time to look them up right now.  My parents and I have driven (at times even commuted) this section of VA 10 quite often over the years.

EDIT: See the public hearing plans here.  They show a 55 mph speed limit throughout the corridor.  (even in the 45 section near SR 732/Old Stage Rd oddly) 

[74/171FAN]

Construction on the I-64/I-264 interchange improvements begins tomorrow.

More general VA news:
DDI on I-581/US 220 at Valley View Blvd will be open Monday.

Traffic changes around the I-81/VA 37 interchange begin the 28th.

[74/171FAN]

Some of the stimulus money is going to widening of SR 802(Lewistown Rd) around I-95 which includes replacing the bridge over I-95.

I wonder if stimulus money was actually used on this project considering that it only started last year. 

Colonial Heights has replaced some signage at major intersections with its own custom-made directory signs. One of the removed signs included the US 144 error.

Actually the US 144 error was relocated to here.

[Jmiles32]

http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Valley-View-Interchange-project-to-finish-in-time-for-Black-Friday-401494715.html

Looks like Virginia's second Diverging Diamond Interchange at I-581/Valley View Blvd in Roanoke will finally be completed Monday. Two more currently under construction US-460/Southgate Connector in Blacksburg and US-15/I-66 in Haymarket. Construction on a DDI at I-95/Courthouse Road in Stafford is set to begin next summer.

[74/171FAN]

http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Valley-View-Interchange-project-to-finish-in-time-for-Black-Friday-401494715.html

Looks like Virginia's second Diverging Diamond Interchange at I-581/Valley View Blvd in Roanoke will finally be completed Monday. Two more currently under construction US-460/Southgate Connector in Blacksburg and US-15/I-66 in Haymarket. Construction on a DDI at I-95/Courthouse Road in Stafford is set to begin next summer.

It is officially open as of this afternoon.

EDIT:  Update on VA 7 widening around Great Falls, possible changes planned at VA 294 (Prince William Pkwy) at Old Bridge Rd (where VA 294 traffic currently must turn)