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Board presses VDOT on Red Valley Road after jump in construction estimate; asks VDOT to prioritize completion
Summary
VDOT told the Franklin County Board of Supervisors cost estimates for improving Route 657 (Red Valley Road) rose substantially; supervisors directed staff and VDOT to prioritize finishing Red Valley rather than adding several lower‑ranked projects to the secondary six‑year plan.
Franklin County supervisors pressed VDOT staff after the county’s draft secondary six‑year plan showed a large increase in the estimated cost to improve Red Valley Road (Route 657). VDOT offered two scenarios: fund the full 1.5‑mile reconstruction at a revised estimate or scale back to a shorter segment so other projects remain on the plan.
Why it matters: Red Valley Road is long‑standing local priority in the Boone District. Supervisors said delays and shifting priorities have left constituents waiting for years and pressed VDOT for clearer cost estimates and an implementation plan.
Key details: VDOT staff reported earlier engineering work and recent construction market pricing raised the estimate for the Red Valley project from an earlier $699,000 figure to roughly $1,500,000. VDOT presented two alternatives: (1) fund the full 1.5‑mile project at the higher estimate (which would remove three projects added last year from the plan), or (2) reduce the Red Valley scope to about 0.65 miles, hold to lower per‑project estimates and keep more previously added projects in the plan. VDOT said pole lead times and other supply delays are affecting signal and construction schedules on other primary projects as well.
Board reaction and direction: Boone District Supervisor Thompson strongly objected to removing or delaying Red Valley after previous agreements and called for the county to prioritize completion. Several other supervisors agreed that finishing Red Valley should be first priority. The board did not take a formal vote on removing projects that would be displaced; instead, it gave staff and VDOT a clear direction to prioritize completing Red Valley and asked VDOT to return with a refined funding plan before the public hearing next month.
Process notes: VDOT said allocations for the secondary six‑year plan are set by the Commonwealth Transportation Board and fluctuate with state revenue projections; the draft county plan totaled $2,083,821 in allocations at the residency level. VDOT staff also cautioned that the county’s 6‑year plan will be updated and that several projects added last year could be reinserted in future years if funding allows.
Ending: VDOT will provide a revised plan showing which projects would have to be removed or delayed to fund the higher Red Valley estimate and provide additional engineering review of the Red Valley scope; staff agreed to circulate that analysis before the board’s May public hearing to allow supervisors and residents time to review.
