VDOT News - Staunton

STAUNTON - The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing concerning improvements to Millwood Avenue (Route 17/50/522) in the City of Winchester. The meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at Rouss City Hall, 15 North Cameron Street, Winchester, VA 22601.

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. David Robinson, P.E., 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.

VDOT and the City of Winchester are proposing improvements along Millwood Avenue in Winchester. The proposed improvements include two left-turn lanes for westbound Millwood drivers turning onto Apple Blossom Drive. Also starting at this intersection, eastbound drivers will have a third lane extending all the way to the I-81 southbound ramp.

The nearby intersection of Millwood and Mall Boulevard will be reconstructed to eliminate the crossover, including removing the traffic signal and installing a full grass median. This intersection will allow right turns only, which will improve traffic flow for through traffic on Millwood.

To improve pedestrian access and safety, a new signalized pedestrian crossing next to Abrams Creek will connect the main campus of Shenandoah University with the South Campus Commons.

This project is adjacent to the VDOT I-81 bridge project at the intersection of Millwood Avenue and Mall Boulevard. In fact, VDOT is expanding its Millwood Pike bridge project in Frederick County to tie-in and incorporate these improvements located west of the bridge in the City. This work will proceed forward as one project, which will enhance safety and traffic flow through this busy corridor.

Pedestrian traffic will be prohibited in the work zone during construction, which is scheduled to begin in spring 2025 and take about two-and-a-half years to complete. VDOT plans to minimize the impact on vehicle traffic by constructing the new bridge and its roadway approaches to the north of the existing ones. Occasional single-lane closures may be needed for the movement of materials and equipment and during final transition to the new bridge.

The total cost of this project is estimated at 45 million dollars. This includes preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction. The Millwood Pike – Millwood Avenue projects are designed to accommodate the planned widening of Interstate 81 through the Winchester area, and future improvements along the Millwood corridor.

The total estimated cost for this project is $6,498,892, including $749,684 for preliminary engineering, $1,598,511 for right of way and $4,150,697 for construction.

In 2019 Millwood Avenue had an average daily traffic count of 32,000 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2045 the estimated average daily traffic volume is 61,200 vehicles per day.

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

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