VDOT News - Staunton

STAUNTON - The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing concerning improvements to Route 682 (Friedens Church Road) in Rockingham County.  The meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at Turner Ashby High School, 800 North Main Street, Bridgewater, Virginia 22812. If winter weather occurs on March 20 the alternate meeting date is Tuesday, March 26, 2019, 4-6 p.m. at the same location. The purpose of the project is to improve safety, efficiency, and reliability of the regional network by eliminating the hazard created by the sharp turn and the rock wall located close to the road.

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. Joseph Seaman, Project Manager. 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.

This project will realign the intersection of Route 682 (Friedens Church Road) and Route 988 (Scholars Road) in Rockingham County. This project is next to the historic Friedens United Church of Christ, founded in 1762. A cemetery with a rock wall next to the road is located on church property.

Currently drivers must make a 90 degree turn at this intersection, which is next to the rock wall.  The wall receives numerous impacts of varying degrees from vehicles. 

Improvements include expanding the roadway curve by moving Route 682 away from the rock wall and creating a T-intersection with Route 682 and Route 988.

The curve radius on Route 682 will be moved to the northwest and northeast on new alignment. Four-foot wide shoulders will be provide throughout the project.  Drainage will also be improved.

In 2017 Route 682 had an average daily traffic count of 2100 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2042 the estimated average daily traffic volume is 2500 vehicles per day. 

Smart Scale funding of $1,116,434 was awarded to this project in 2017. The total estimated cost for this project is $1,616,434, including $196,364 for preliminary engineering, $364,330 for right of way and $1,055,740 for construction.

Project plan approval is scheduled for spring 2019, with right of way work beginning in fall 2020 and construction advertisement in fall 2021.

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

Traffic alerts and traveler information can be obtained by dialing 511. Traffic alerts and traveler information also are available at 511Virginia.org. For other assistance call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

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.

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