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VDOT presents draft 2026–2031 secondary roads plan; residents press for Breezy Ridge and other unpaved roads to be added
Summary
VDOT presented Bedford County’s draft secondary six‑year plan for fiscal years 2026–2031. The draft allocates $7.38 million at the residency level and includes 17 rural rustic projects and three countywide cost centers; residents of Breezy Ridge and other gravel roads urged the board to add their roads to the plan.
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) staff presented the county’s draft secondary six‑year plan for fiscal years 2026–2031 at the April 14 meeting and told the board the draft is funded with an allocation of $7,380,732 at the residency level.
VDOT’s presenter (Brian) and colleagues summarized the program components: 17 rural rustic projects and three countywide cost centers. VDOT said allocations are driven by the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s revenue projections and Department of Taxation estimates; the draft includes $169,001.46 in tele fee funds and $1,086,731 in unpaved-road funds available for programming new unpaved-road projects.
VDOT listed previously completed and planned projects, including work on Routes 635 (Jeter’s Chapel Road), 630 (Carters Mill Road) and 680 (Smyrna Hill Road). Staff described preliminary engineering underway for Route 692 (Pike Road) and planned activity for Route 768 (Templeton Mill Road) with construction hoped for spring 2026. Several route numbers in the draft were read into the record for board members’ review.
The presentation opened for citizen comment. Multiple residents from Breezy Ridge Road and nearby areas asked the board to add their unpaved roads to the plan or to accelerate work. Speakers who identified themselves included a resident at 1618 Breezy Ridge Road (said name approximated in the record), Johnny Dooley, Lisa Stevens, and Ed Sanders; they described persistent potholes, washboarding, heavy traffic during hunting season and frequent school-bus use, and said recent surface treatments and periodic graveling left roads in poor condition. VDOT staff and the board noted the county has limited allocations and that projects are staged in the six‑year program; board members said VDOT will return for a work session on April 28 where citizens can raise potential projects for addition.
Board members asked specific questions about recent and upcoming work, including what segments of Carter’s Mill Road had been completed, anticipated bidding windows for Lipscomb Road and the extent of paving planned for Bells Mill Road. VDOT said typical projects cover between about a half-mile and three-quarters of a mile per allocation and that staff will adjust cost estimates to reflect inflation.
Supervisor comments and requests to VDOT were recorded; the board scheduled a VDOT work session for April 28 at 5 p.m. and plans to adopt a final six‑year plan at the board’s May meeting.
