Madison County directs staff to request VDOT speed study on Fishback Road

Madison County supervisors authorized the county administrator to request a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) speed study for Fishback Road after a property owner asked the county to seek a posted speed limit change.

At the meeting, a county staff member explained that Fishback Road currently has no posted speed limit signs at its connection to Route 29, which makes the default assumed limit 55 mph until later posted zones. The staff member said the road is approximately 1.3 miles long and noted residents expressed safety concerns stemming from the current speeds.

The nut graf: the board’s direction asks VDOT to evaluate whether a posted speed reduction to 35 mph is warranted on the portion of Fishback Road referenced by the resident complaint.

Board discussion included questions about existing speed controls and the authority needed to request a VDOT study. A motion directing the county administrator to contact VDOT for a speed study was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board did not specify a timeline for VDOT’s response; the county staff member said the formal request will be made immediately if the board wished to proceed. Any follow-on VDOT recommendations — such as sign changes or engineering measures — would be implemented by VDOT per its processes and not by unilateral county action.

Supervisors encouraged residents to provide VDOT with local information and noted the board’s authority is to request the study, not to order specific posted speed limits.