Virginia

[Mapmikey]

VA 215 has been rerouted on its eastern end to meet VA 28 about 1/4 mile further southwest...

[74/171FAN]

DDI at I-66 interchange with US 15 in Haymarket to open around December 17th
Post Merge: December 02, 2016, 04:45:32 PM

EDIT:  Intersection change postponed to Friday. (11-28-2016)

Quote from me above

Change at Opal intersection has officially happened.

[Takumi]

Signal going up in Chesterfield County at US 1/301 and SR 618 Old Bermuda Hundred Road. Everything's in place and it's scheduled to go live within the next week.

[74/171FAN]

US 29 Grade-Separated Interchange at Rio Rd is officially complete

[froggie]

^ Anyone have a photo of this?  News release says the overpass and through lanes were opened back in July.

[1995hoo]

^ Anyone have a photo of this?  News release says the overpass and through lanes were opened back in July.

If I have time, I'll look tonight. I may have video from the end of July when we drove through there on our way home from Florida. It was open and the Charlottesville drivers were dealing with the new traffic pattern in the same way they deal with any changes in the traffic patterns (that is, poorly). I suppose, to be fair to them, as of July there weren't enough advance BGSs, so hopefully that's improved in the months since then. We didn't go to any football games this season, so I haven't been to Charlottesville since then.


Edited to add: It's 9:50 PM and I just finished cleaning up from dinner, so I'll look tomorrow. I sat in front of a PC at work all day and simply don't want to do so right now.

[74/171FAN]

^ Anyone have a photo of this?  News release says the overpass and through lanes were opened back in July.

There is  an overhead aerial view of it from VDOT's Flickr.  I last went through here about two weeks before it opened.  I could not find any ground-level photos though.

[oscar]

VA 8's crossing of the Blue Ridge Pkwy is not too bad.  If you see VA 40 on the map as a way back east, just know that despite the lack of elevation change it is VERY twisty until nearly Ferrum...and very quiet.

I took VA 40 to its west end, on my way down to South Carolina for a few days. On the way back, I took VA 6 east to Richmond, which doesn't go anywhere near Hillsville but was a scenic alternative to taking Interstate or US routes from I-81 to I-95.

VA 40 west of Ferrum was as gnarly as advertised. Not too much aggravation for me with the forewarning, though it probably would've been more fun in one of 1995hoo's rides than my big-ass pickup truck. I thought VA 8 from VA 40 to the Blue Ridge Parkway to be even more gnarly than VA 40, but north of the Parkway it was smooth sailing all the way to Christianburg where I picked up I-81.

Also, VA 40 did a lot of twists and turns on its way through Rocky Mpunt. I had a hard time following the signed route, and had to do several backtracks where I strayed from the route.

On VA 6, I noticed some signage on VA 161 indicating VA 6 extends east of VA 161. I didn't have time to follow the signage, and I hope it's just remnant signage for an old VA 6 routing.

[Mapmikey]

On VA 6, I noticed some signage on VA 161 indicating VA 6 extends east of VA 161. I didn't have time to follow the signage, and I hope it's just remnant signage for an old VA 6 routing.

This is signage to do a neighborhood clover from VA 161 NB to VA 6 WB, as turning left onto VA 6 directly is illegal part of the time and a pain when it is legal.  The 3rd turn in that sequence has been unposted for at least 10 years now.

[1995hoo]

Oscar, thanks. Sounds like Route 40 might be one to save for another time when we won't have to get home for work the next day. 

[74/171FAN]

LoudounNow: Leesburg Letter Could Save Battlefield Interchange Funding (VA 7 at Battlefield Pkwy in Leesburg)

[Takumi]

The North/South VA 145 error signs at VA 10 have been fixed. There's now just one shield on each assembly, with an East banner.

[74/171FAN]

The rest of Lynnhaven Pkwy is going to be open tomorrow morning.

[WillWeaverRVA]

The North/South VA 145 error signs at VA 10 have been fixed. There's now just one shield on each assembly, with an East banner.

Took them long enough, I reported it on the MyVDOT customer service portal almost 3 months ago.

[Mapmikey]

The North/South VA 145 error signs at VA 10 have been fixed. There's now just one shield on each assembly, with an East banner.

Took them long enough, I reported it on the MyVDOT customer service portal almost 3 months ago.

Not to mention there have been N-S signs with erroneous shield saying 145 continues past 10 going back to at least 2006...

[1995hoo]

DDI at I-66 interchange with US 15 in Haymarket to open around December 17th

....

Dr. Gridlock has a blog item about this. What I find amusing are the typical ignorant comments:

... --- ...
7:30 AM EST
What is the reason Virginia will not implement or use cloverleaf intersections? There's plenty on I-64 west of Richmond, but not one say at I-66 and I-495, I-66 and Rt.28...

It's mind boggling how inept the highway designs are in the area.

(Seriously? Who in his right mind would ever want a cloverleaf at the junction of I-66 and the Beltway??!!!!)

Deaf and Dumb WP Reader
12/9/2016 11:00 PM EST
This kind of interchange is almost as dumb as the old fashioned traffic circle. How many drivers will be confused and crash?

memyselfI1
12/9/2016 3:28 PM EST [Edited]
These are the DUMBEST, the most STUPID, traffic designs I have ever seen. They are here in the Charlotte area where I live. I do utmost best to avoid them too.

They do NOTHING to 'improve' the traffic flow except force drivers to the WRONG side of the road, create more travel time for 911 and unnecessary maneuvering for tractor-trailers. 

They are only ziig-zags on a straight line. There is also absolutely nothing wrong with left turns either - a figment DOT imagination. They are a compete WASTE of tax dollars for DOT personal use, not for the benefit of the general driving public.

(I highly doubt "memyselfI1" has ever driven through a DDI.)

mrpoizun
12/9/2016 11:47 AM EST
Soooo..... What's the advantage to this? You still have traffic signals. You still have to hope the other drivers obey them. I don't see any advantage. What's the big deal about no left turns? As long as there are left turn lanes and left turn lights, there's no particular danger, other than someone running a red light.

The following reply to "mrpoizun" was probably the most thoughtful critical comment:

NonMaskableInterrupt
12/9/2016 8:08 PM EST
That was my question too. Why have traffic lights at the crossovers when simple overpasses could completely avoid the need for them?

[Takumi]

The North/South VA 145 error signs at VA 10 have been fixed. There's now just one shield on each assembly, with an East banner.

Took them long enough, I reported it on the MyVDOT customer service portal almost 3 months ago.

Not to mention there have been N-S signs with erroneous shield saying 145 continues past 10 going back to at least 2006...

They've been fixed within the past few weeks. Now to get a decent photo of the US 145 shield at the other end.

[Mapmikey]

Took a ride around Virginia yesterday for my birthday, mainly to go get a sandwich from Blacksburg...

The last 2 cutouts in Gordonsville remain.  The wholesale sign replacements around the Gordonsville traffic circle did not extend to the nearby intersection of VA 231 and US 15-33 truck route.

Construction at Exit 150 (US 220, VA 220 ALT) is still essentially confined to US 11.

Construction of the interchange at US 460 and VA 314 seems like it is slow going.  Still no girders on the overpass.

The widening of VA 114 from 460 Business west a couple miles is really nice...

The vintage VA 99 END shield at the NCL of Pulaski appears to be gone but the circle 99 the other way is still there.   

The Carter Wayside is marked as closed, but it looked like it was in good shape...wondering if they close it just for the winter.

The US 121 error BGS is still up

The most notable find on my trip is a fully signed separate segment of VA 365 on the east side of the campus.  i had gone over there to see if the connection built behind the campus to Community Blvd was posted (it is not), but wandered around to find this separate segment, which intersects main 365 just south of what was the end circle.  The other segment is not posted right at that intersection which is why I didn't notice it several years ago.  But it is posted once in each direction further around, both with error circle shields.

I drove to Hillsville and found all cutouts at the central intersection still in place.  I drove US 58 east to head homeward and drove the newly minted 4-lane segment from Big Reed Island Creek east to Meadows of Dan.  Clinch purists do have to go drive it as it bypasses some segments of the 2-lane road.  It is a nice improvement.  Continuing the widening west to Hillsville involves some difficult terrain and way harder terrain exists from Meadows of Dan east to VA 8.

The older US 58 unisigns east of Meadows of Dan are still in place.

I drove the newly christened VA 8 bypass of Stuart.  It has a 25 mph speed limit throughout and very closely parallels the Business route along its lower third.  In some places VA 8 business is posted as To VA 8 and at least one mainline VA 8 posting is VA 8 TRUCK.  But there are definitely Business 8 shields at both ends of the bypass.

Drove through Martinsville on VA 57.  A lot of new route signage and a really old stoplight assembly here - https://goo.gl/maps/9AxAbAEtZBB2

Not much else to report coming back via US 360 to richmond...

[74/171FAN]

Construction at Exit 150 (US 220, VA 220 ALT) is still essentially confined to US 11.

Construction of the interchange at US 460 and VA 314 seems like it is slow going.  Still no girders on the overpass.

The widening of VA 114 from 460 Business west a couple miles is really nice...

All of this (plus the VA 114 WB New River Bridge) make me wonder why I have not gone back to Blacksburg yet.

[VTGoose]

Took a ride around Virginia yesterday for my birthday, mainly to go get a sandwich from Blacksburg...

Hope you weren't looking for a Mike's burger. They shut down in late summer  for a variety of reasons.

Construction at Exit 150 (US 220, VA 220 ALT) is still essentially confined to US 11.

Construction of the interchange at US 460 and VA 314 seems like it is slow going.  Still no girders on the overpass.

The widening of VA 114 from 460 Business west a couple miles is really nice...

The last time I was through Alt. 220, most of the grading had been completed for the new roadbed to the north that will feed into the new roundabout on U.S. 11.

There are times that it looks like Branch Highways has maybe 5 people working on the new Southgate interchange on 460. There was a lot of work done this summer to build the roundabout on campus where the new alignment of Southgate Drive will connect with the existing road and Duck Pond Drive. It is now mostly complete and feeds into the existing Southgate between there and the 460 bypass. Other parts of the project involve work on and around the Huckleberry bike trail. Some grading of ramps has been done at the overpass, but that part of the project seems to be slow going. Every few weeks, a new section of abutment has form work done, then new concrete is revealed. It still isn't apparent what the configuration of roads and ramps on the west side of the bypass will be.

It will be interesting to see if and when the rest of VA 114 from the current end of the four-lane to the arsenal gets put on the "build" list. It doesn't seem to be as big a deal as it was a number of years ago.

Bruce in Blacksburg

[Mapmikey]

Took a ride around Virginia yesterday for my birthday, mainly to go get a sandwich from Blacksburg...

Hope you weren't looking for a Mike's burger. They shut down in late summer  for a variety of reasons.

Nope...Sub Station 2.  This is the only one left in Virginia.  They are based in South Carolina which is where I started eating their sandwiches in the 1970s...

[74/171FAN]

Construction at Exit 150 (US 220, VA 220 ALT) is still essentially confined to US 11.

The Gateway Crossing (new road) portion of the project is completed.  It is planned to be open on Sunday.

[1995hoo]

VDOT postponed the Haymarket DDI opening until January 7 due to weather forecast and the Christmas work hiatus.

Meantime, US-1 at Fort Belvoir is supposed to shift to the new alignment tomorrow.

[CanesFan27]

Took a ride around Virginia yesterday for my birthday, mainly to go get a sandwich from Blacksburg...

Hope you weren't looking for a Mike's burger. They shut down in late summer  for a variety of reasons.

Nope...Sub Station 2.  This is the only one left in Virginia.  They are based in South Carolina which is where I started eating their sandwiches in the 1970s...

Mmmm sub station 2. Used to eat at the one in gastonia all the time.  Haven't been to one in nearly 10 years.

[Mapmikey]

Took a ride around Virginia yesterday for my birthday, mainly to go get a sandwich from Blacksburg...

Hope you weren't looking for a Mike's burger. They shut down in late summer  for a variety of reasons.

Nope...Sub Station 2.  This is the only one left in Virginia.  They are based in South Carolina which is where I started eating their sandwiches in the 1970s...

Mmmm sub station 2. Used to eat at the one in Gastonia all the time.  Haven't been to one in nearly 10 years.

They are getting ready to open one in the Raleigh area at 1440 Garner Sta Blvd - http://www.substationii.com/locations

Fixed quote.  -Mark