Lancaster supervisors back Kilmarnock SmartScale recommendations and place a roundabout on the Route 200 placeholder list

Planning staff presented the Route 3 Corridor Improvement Study and the town of Kilmarnock’s preferred alternatives for intersections within the town limits, highlighting safety, congestion and access‑management benefits and noting SmartScale eligibility based on VTrans needs. Staff said the public most commonly favored a “no build” option, but the town preferred alternative — a new fourth leg connection at Old Fairgrounds Way (Walmart entrance) with turn-lane modifications — was recommended for forwarding to VDOT.

The board voted to direct county staff to forward Kilmarnock’s preferred alternatives to VDOT for inclusion in a SmartScale application.

Staff then reviewed the Route 200 study (Old St. John’s Road/White Pine Drive and Harris Road/Route 688). Survey results showed mixed public preference among traffic signal, roundabout or doing nothing. County and VDOT staff noted that traffic signals must be warranted by projected counts and that, under the study’s build-year traffic projections, a signal would not be warranted for many years. A supervisor proposed and the board approved a motion to place a roundabout option on the county list as the preferred placeholder, while directing staff to study right‑of‑way impacts if members want more detail before a final design.

Board members and staff discussed funding paths (SmartScale, revenue-sharing with local match, or future rezoning that could change warrants). No immediate capital commitment was made; the board’s vote places the roundabout option as the county’s preferred alternative for future consideration.