After many years of push and pull, the hard work and dedication of former Supervisor Granville Hogg have come to fruition. The intersection leading in and out of the Food Lion parking lot finally has a newer, and hopefully safer traffic pattern. The new traffic signals work in tandem with civic design to increase safety.
The addition of traffic lights and speed bumps will adjust and slow the average speed, which had been over 60 mph. The idea here is to limit the speed and volume of traffic to safe levels by slowing down traffic along the whole span of road.
It will also provide a safer means to exit the lot when trying to head south. The lights will eliminate much of the chaos that happened in this section of Rt. 13.
The cost of the project was just over $2 million dollars, and was finished on schedule (Spring 2021).
Daniel Burke says
Speed bumps?
We don’t need no stinkin’ speed bumps
Brand says
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumble_strip……????
Paul Plante says
The front-end alignment dudes do, though.
They’re great for business and the shock absorber replacers love them as well for that same reason, and hey, they got to eat to.
David Moore says
Ha!
Phil and Ann Sagle says
Wayne,
Agreed (as we occasionally do) that this is indeed Top News. I would like to add, that this is GREAT NEWS… and much-kudos are due: to our local civic community citizens, to our county and state executives and employees, and to our county and state and regional elected officials!!!
Granville Hogg says
To the readers
I recently read articles in the local news media. I greatly appreciate the recognition for the efforts made to improve traffic safety at that location. I would like to correct some of the text to reflect the facts as I know them.
The Construction of traffic control devices located at the McDonalds/Food Lion/ Atlantic Union Bank median crossing does not reflect the proposal the local citizens and I provided to VDOT and Northampton County Board of Supervisors.
The proposal to VDOT included the following:
1. Posting of 45 MPH signs south of the intersection of U.S. 13 and S.R. 684, (Bayview Cir, Parsons Cir)
2. Reconstruction of the former connection from Cheriton, Bus. U.S.13, now South Bayside Road, across the railroad tracks and terminate as an “Access/feeder road” beginning in front of McDonald’s. All Traffic could ingress and egress to the shopping area through the existing stoplight by accessing the PROPOSED reconstructed connection to Cheriton.
3. The entrance to the shopping area at the existing median crossing would only permit traffic to enter the shopping area. All traffic from the shopping area would exit near Dollar General over the PROPOSED reconstructed roadway and exit via the Existing Stoplight where traffic could travel North or South on U.S. 13 or Bus U.S. 13 to Cheriton.
4. A stoplight was proposed for the intersection of U.S. 13 and S.R. 684, (Bayview Cir, Parsons Cir)
The above proposal was compromised at the last moment. It was believed that if Northampton County did not accept VDOT’s plan, VDOT would not return to the drawing board to amend the plan it presented. The proposal, as presented above, had the support of Governor Northam who worked with me on this issue for over a decade.
I look forward to monitoring this Memorial Day Weekend traffic to be reminded how well the Board of Supervisors and VDOT’s Traffic improvement Plan fits this traffic situation. With the addition of the approval of traffic access from the YMCA onto at an uncontrolled intersection will add to the interest, when YMCA could have entered on SR 184 and had a controlled intersection. For the safety of my neighbors and the motoring public I hope all goes well. In the interim, I will try to avoid the area.
I cannot take credit for the rumble strips. In my opinion they are a great idea. It will assist in alerting the driver of the entrance to the CRASH ZONE.
Granville Hogg
Lifelong says
Kudos, Granville!