Virginia

[NJRoadfan]

Anyway, just today I discovered a new route between Franklin, VA and Garysburg, NC that was quite pleasant, and I think I will start using it for the foreseeable future to completely blow off Emporia for my regular work trips to/from Hampton Roads.

SR-671, VA-35, and VA/NC-186? Watch out for the blatant speed trap in Newsoms.

[74/171FAN]

US 58 has reopened east of Damascus after having to be rebuilt due to damage from Hurricane Helene.

It looks like it was truly just rebuilt.  While there may have been a realignment of some sort, I am fine with no changes in Travel Mapping.

Also in case you are not aware of the Travel Mapping updates (because I do not remember seeing it here), US 311 was realigned last year to follow the newly constructed Harville-Saunders Parkway to the US 58/SR 1260 interchange southwest of Danville.

I drove down there today to reclinch US 311, and saw the the former portion of US 311 from Harville-Saunders Pkwy to US 58 BUS/SR 872 along Berry Hill Rd is now signed as US 311 ALT.  I had thought that SR 863 would be re-extended there honestly.

(https://forum.travelmapping.net/index.php?topic=6946.0)

Project link: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/lynchburg-district/route-311-connector-road-pittsylvania-county/

[Mapmikey]

Well that's surprising and AASHTO could reject that.

I had thought there was a slight chance it could be an extended VA 51.

The 2023 Pittsylvania county map shows SR 863 on all of Berry Hill Rd as if US 311 never came back to Virginia.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Well that's surprising and AASHTO could reject that.

I had thought there was a slight chance it could be an extended VA 51.

The 2023 Pittsylvania county map shows SR 863 on all of Berry Hill Rd as if US 311 never came back to Virginia.

None of this is on the ArcGIS maps even though the LRS Route Master map was just updated on June 2nd.

[Thing 342]

https://www.nps.gov/colo/planyourvisit/upload/NPS_Colonial-Pkwy-Public-Meeting_Handout_508_Final-06102025.pdf

A new update on the timetable for the Colonial Parkway rehab project was released on June 10. No construction progress has been posted since the April update, but it has quietly pushed back the date for full re-opening of the Cheatham Annex - Yorktown segment back to "Winter 2025/26", a slip of a full year from the original re-opening date of Fall 2024. I'm not sure of the cause of the delay (possibly due to cuts to the NPS, though this portion was already fully funded and supposed to have been completed when the new administration began), but it means that the vast majority of the Parkway will remain closed for another summer and add to the increasing list of construction-imposed traffic headaches around the Peninsula.

[WillWeaverRVA]

VDOT removed the erroneous VA 1 shield on SR 638 in Woodbridge.

Problem is, they installed a new one a bit further up from the intersection.

[Thing 342]

VDOT removed the erroneous VA 1 shield on SR 638 in Woodbridge.

Problem is, they installed a new one a bit further up from the intersection.

How long has VDOT been posting that kind of directional sign with the single shield mounted between the directional banners?

[WillWeaverRVA]

VDOT removed the erroneous VA 1 shield on SR 638 in Woodbridge.

Problem is, they installed a new one a bit further up from the intersection.

How long has VDOT been posting that kind directional sign with the single shield mounted between the directional banners?

Not long. That's not normally something I see them do, at least not around here.

[Beltway]

The final I-64 GAP Widening project is now under construction. So 29 miles of I-64 is being widened to 6 lanes.

The contractor is Shirley Contracting Company, working under a design-build contract with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), cost $203.2 million.

The I-64 GAP Segment B Widening Project adds a travel lane and shoulder in each direction along an 8.7-mile stretch of I-64. The scope of work includes the milling and overlaying of existing pavement and, to limit impacts to the existing interchanges, the widening of bridges and the median.

https://www.clarkconstruction.com/our-work/projects/i-64-gap-segment-b-widening

[74/171FAN]

Some VDOT news releases of late:

Overnight four-hour full closures scheduled on I-64 in Hampton for overhead sign

(For US 11 and SR 873, I had brought this up a couple months ago) VDOT Lights Up Traffic Signal at Route 11 and Renaissance Drive in Frederick County

(For I-81 and US 33)  Expect Interstate 81 northbound ramp changes at the Route 33 bridge project

(For US 17)  Comment on Route 17 Widening Project in Gloucester County

[plain]

The planned diverting diamond interchange for VA 106 at I-64 (Exit 211) is now fully funded. No word on a start date but I suspect it won't be long as I think (or at least I hope) VDOT and New Kent officials would like it to be completed along with the current interstate widening in the area.

https://richmondbizsense.com/2025/06/26/new-kent-interchange-improvement-project-near-upcoming-buc-ees-now-fully-funded/

[sprjus4]

Automated speed enforcement coming to I-64 work zones in New Kent

NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. — New Kent County will start automated speed enforcement in work zones on I-64 in August in an effort to increase safety for construction workers and drivers.

A 30-day warning period begins on Tuesday, July 1, and active enforcement begins August 1. During the warning period, violators will receive a warning in the mail marked in red advising of the violation that occurred. Once enforcement begins, drivers that go 11 MPH or more over the work zone speed limit will receive a summons in the mail with a $100 fine.

The enforcement will be vehicle-based, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"There will be a securely monitored truck that has a LiDAR camera in the bed. This camera is able to monitor each lane of travel individually and with more accuracy than a traditional radar. That means that the LiDAR is measuring the speed of each vehicle individually and flagging those who are going 11+ MPH over the construction speed limit, not those safely following traffic laws," the Sheriff's Office shared in an announcement.

Warning and enforcement letters are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle that violates the construction zone speed limit by 11 MPH or more when workers are present at the I-64 construction site.

Very curious how this will work with the variable speed limits in place. Will enforcement be active 24/7 (even when it's 70 mph outside of work hours) or only during the 60 mph active work zone times? The article mentions "when workers are present" but doesn't elaborate.

Also, is the camera going to accurately ticket the right speed?  Say I'm going 72 mph when I pass a 70 mph sign, then it drops to 60 mph but I don't see another sign for 3 miles. But before I'm alerted it's 60 mph, there's a camera and all of a sudden I get fined for 72 mph in a 60 mph zone (that I last saw was 70 mph).

I imagine the best measure would be to have a 10 minute or so "grace period" when the limit changes, to ensure everyone is fully alert to the reduced limit before beginning ticketing at that speed.

—

These cameras at least make a little more sense than Suffolk reducing a six lane rural divided highway to 50 mph and throwing up cameras for "safety"... especially with variable limits that permit 70 mph when it's safe to do so.

I can only imagine this is going to generate significant revenue for New Kent County though, and lead to more localities slapping up speed cameras on interstate work zones. Emporia would have loved this with the I-95 bridge replacement project they had a few years ago. VDOT floated the idea on I-81 around Roanoke as well, but nothing has come of that. With a 30 mile portion going to be an active construction zone over the next 10 years, with widening between Christiansburg and Salem, I don't imagine it'll be long until that becomes reality and cameras roll in. The county already put up school zone speed cameras on a rural four lane portion of parallel US-460.