VDOT outlines paving, roundabout work and Route 3–20 reconfiguration for Orange County

Willie Gordon, assistant residency administrator for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Louisa residency, told the Orange County Board of Supervisors that crews have completed routine repairs and are moving forward on several design and construction milestones for corridor and intersection safety projects.

Gordon told the board the department has patched 325 potholes, removed about 120 cubic yards of debris, ditched roughly 1,500 linear feet, completed shoulder repair on 1 mile of Route 20, removed 50 animal carcasses from roadways and cleared brush on multiple routes. He said paving is weather-dependent and is expected to resume in March, with “pavement schedule” materials available by request.

Why it matters: the projects described affect local traffic flow and safety on key county roads and set multi-year timelines for construction that will involve public hearings and environmental review.

Gordon summarized three larger projects by VDOT project (UPC) number and timeline: Greenwood Road (Route 635) is under a rural-rustic program; construction activities began in November 2024 with an anticipated completion in June 2025, subject to environmental review. UPC 111742, a low-speed curve correction on Route 601, is in post-PFI (preliminary field inspection) with an advertisement (add) date around spring 2027. UPC 115475 (Barbersville Roundabout) has been awarded and is moving into construction logistics. UPC 124271 (Route 3 and Route 20 intersection — described in the presentation as a reconfiguration to reduce left-turn conflict points and median openings) held a preliminary field inspection in February with a public hearing planned for fall 2025 and an add date aimed for summer 2027. UPC 12655 (Route 20 and Route 522 roundabout) has a submitted performance package, a preliminary field inspection planned for summer 2025 and an add date in summer 2027.

On the Route 3 and Route 20 project, Gordon described the concept as removing some left‑turn movements and median cuts, using right-turn and U‑turn patterns to improve traffic flow and reduce crash points; he offered to provide the board a conceptual plan and to publish materials to the VDOT website. “It’s currently in review by our environmental,” he said, noting the department is assessing environmental impacts before full construction proceeds.

Board members raised questions about right-of-way constraints and whether a free-flowing right movement from eastbound Route 20 onto eastbound Route 3 is possible; Gordon said right-of-way and adjacent property ownership (including National Park Service parcels in the area) are among the factors VDOT will confirm during design. He also thanked local residents and supervisors for feedback after recent signal adjustments at the Route 3/20 intersection and agreed to send the schematic to the board.

Gordon also discussed interim maintenance work: a winter-related patching program (“pahoe patching”) and debris removal from recent storms; he reported that crews removed 40 bags of trash and completed tree trimming on Route 700. He encouraged supervisors to contact him for a copy of the paving schedule.

What’s next: several projects carry multi-year timelines (public hearings and add/bid dates concentrated in 2025–2028), and VDOT staff will deliver design materials to the board and post public hearing notices when they are scheduled.

Sources and attribution: Remarks and project details came from Willie Gordon’s presentation to the Orange County Board of Supervisors during the board’s February 2025 meeting.