Virginia

[sprjus4]

This morning VDOT tweeted that this Saturday morning they will re-stripe the Norris Bridge to eliminate the passing zones. A significant part of this is probably a reaction to the fatal head-on crash on July 14. I was always rather surprised that passing was allowed on that bridge.

It's unfortunate that it took a fatal collision to lead to this, but better late than never.

[74/171FAN]

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-eyes-47m-fix-for-flood-prone-otterdale-road-crossing/

Just noting for myself (and if the search ever is truly functional again) that this for SR 667 (which I have clinched south of VA 288, I have not done the part north of it yet). 

I would think that Chesterfield County would want this four-laned eventually.

[WillWeaverRVA]

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-eyes-47m-fix-for-flood-prone-otterdale-road-crossing/

Just noting for myself (and if the search ever is truly functional again) that this for SR 667 (which I have clinched south of VA 288, I have not done the part north of it yet). 

I would think that Chesterfield County would want this four-laned eventually.

The portion south of Genito Road should definitely be four-laned, but an intersection where Otterdale Road turns onto itself at Duval Road would need to be reconfigured. Between Genito Road and VA 288, I really don't think it sees very much traffic even today, despite having the exit from southbound VA 288, so the current two-lane road with wide shoulders is adequate.

I do think that Otterdale Road should connect to Old Otterdale Road on the other side of VA 288 via an overpass, though. Watkins Centre Parkway is an unnumbered road, so the result is that the SR 667 designation is discontinuous. Hilariously, VDOT's ArcGIS map says that SR 667 crosses VA 288 when it doesn't.

[74/171FAN]

I do think that Otterdale Road should connect to Old Otterdale Road on the other side of VA 288 via an overpass, though. Watkins Centre Parkway is an unnumbered road, so the result is that the SR 667 designation is discontinuous. Hilariously, VDOT's ArcGIS map says that SR 667 crosses VA 288 when it doesn't.

Yeah, I noticed that while I was working on Chesterfield County routes on the wiki.  Speaking of which, I wonder if they may end up with higher numbers than Fairfax at some point down the road.  They are definitely in the 8000s already.

[WillWeaverRVA]

I do think that Otterdale Road should connect to Old Otterdale Road on the other side of VA 288 via an overpass, though. Watkins Centre Parkway is an unnumbered road, so the result is that the SR 667 designation is discontinuous. Hilariously, VDOT's ArcGIS map says that SR 667 crosses VA 288 when it doesn't.

Yeah, I noticed that while I was working on Chesterfield County routes on the wiki.  Speaking of which, I wonder if they may end up with higher numbers than Fairfax at some point down the road.  They are definitely in the 8000s already.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Chesterfield reach 5 digit route numbers sometime within the next 10 years, though I've noticed that a lot of newer developments aren't applying to have their streets become part of the secondary system. Currently the highest non-school route number in Chesterfield County is SR 8522 - an unnamed street that branches from another unnamed street making an important state-maintained connection between SR 697 and a Carytown Tobacco vape shop.

Chesterfield seems to do very weird things with secondary routes. I noticed that Cobalt Avenue - a street within an apartment complex off SR 950 Charter Colony Parkway - is SR 8494. But there are no SR 8494 signs anywhere, not even street name signs labeled SR 8494. There are other SRs nearby, but none of them are signed either despite one of them connecting back to SR 950.

EDIT: There is an SR 8591 - Grayscott Way in the Tarrington neighborhood - but it isn't signed either.

[Takumi]

I wonder if Chesterfield is just not signing them because their numbers haven't been determined at the time of opening yet, as opposed to them not being in the system. I don't think there would just be a gap between 8522 and 8591.

[WillWeaverRVA]

I wonder if Chesterfield is just not signing them because their numbers haven't been determined at the time of opening yet, as opposed to them not being in the system. I don't think there would just be a gap between 8522 and 8591.

When I found 8591 I did find a bunch of numbers in between 8522 and 8591. And yeah, that's a good point, if the roads were just added to the system, it's likely no one's gotten around to putting the SR XXXX stickers on the street name signs yet (though 8591 will likely never be signed since none of the SRs in Tarrington are posted).

[Beltway]

This will help my journeys as I connect between I-95 south of Washington and I-270 northwest.

"The 495 NEXT project is extending the existing 495 Express Lanes north by two-and-a-half miles from the Dulles Corridor Interchange to the George Washington Memorial Parkway Interchange in the vicinity of the American Legion Bridge. The project is providing new and improved connections at the Dulles Corridor and George Washington Memorial Parkway. The new, extended express lanes are scheduled to open by the end of this year. "

https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/news-events/news/northern-virginia-district/vdot-and-transurban-launch-safety-campaign-as-crews-work-to-open-495-express-lanes-by-year-end.php

[Mapmikey]

Drove US-58 through Mecklenburg County today and noticed that it now has posted mile makers every half mile, added sometime between 2023 and February 2025. Since VA doesn't usually post mileposts on US routes, does anyone know if this is just a one-off?

I have not seen any new mile markers on US routes in central and northern Virginia...

Follow up:
I drove US 360 from Richmond to Danville on Saturday. It now has mile markers in Nottoway, Prince Edward, and Charlotte counties. The Burkeville bypass has US 460's mile markers.

Nottoway county had mile and half-mile markers. The others were mile markers with shields.

I was unable to determine if US 15 had any.

[WillWeaverRVA]

The CTB will be approving the new state MUTCD at this month's meeting. Notably, it rescinds the preliminary approval for Clearview to be used on all signs, and restricts its use to overheads and guide signs on freeways and expressways only.

Also, VA 413 was mentioned in reference to I-495 for some reason, even though VA 413 only briefly existed before it became I-495.

https://ctb.virginia.gov/media/ctb/agendas-and-meeting-minutes/2025/09/ctb-action-meeting-2025-09.pdf

[froggie]

The CTB will be approving the new state MUTCD at this month's meeting. Notably, it rescinds the preliminary approval for Clearview to be used on all signs, and restricts its use to overheads and guide signs on freeways and expressways only.

That's actually a pity.  I was appreciating how VDOT had used Clearview on placename signs...

[VTGoose]

Cardinal News has a series of stories looking back at some "what might have been" events. One gives a good history of why I-64 goes through Charlottesville instead of Farmville and Lynchburg.

"Things that could have been: An interstate through Farmville and Lynchburg"
https://cardinalnews.org/2025/09/09/things-that-could-have-been-an-interstate-through-farmville-and-lynchburg/

Bruce in Blacksburg

[Beltway]

Cardinal News has a series of stories looking back at some "what might have been" events. One gives a good history of why I-64 goes through Charlottesville instead of Farmville and Lynchburg.
"Things that could have been: An interstate through Farmville and Lynchburg"
https://cardinalnews.org/2025/09/09/things-that-could-have-been-an-interstate-through-farmville-and-lynchburg/

Route built: About 120 miles of construction versus about 160 miles of construction for the southerly route.

Route not built: poor connection with I-81 North from the east, and non-existent connection with I-81 North from the west.

I think that pretty much sums it up right there.

As it is, in 1965 the southerly route got approved to be built in the 4-lane Arterial System.