Board adopts VDOT six‑year secondary plan after public hearing; staff to pursue prioritized safety projects

The board opened a public hearing on the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) secondary six‑year plan and heard public comment before moving to adopt the plan.

George Bowman, assistant resident administrator for the Franklin residency, briefed the board on a suite of proposed secondary road projects included in the FY26–FY31 allocation and answered follow‑up questions about specific maintenance and safety items. Bowman said Darden Point pipe replacement was complete but required re‑compaction after an unrelated utility repair; he also described planned drainage improvements and a safety study that recommended lowering the speed limit on Story Station Road.

Several residents raised concerns about RCUT (reduced conflict U‑turn) proposals along the Highway 58 corridor, saying the design shown at prior meetings appeared better suited for rural, low‑traffic contexts. One citizen said an RCUT could cause queuing and block traffic at key intersections given heavy truck volumes at certain times of day.

VDOT staff said some RCUT proposals were not on the six‑year plan and that the 6‑year plan itself does not yet include an immediate RCUT project for the corridor; Bowman said VDOT would continue to coordinate speed studies, turn lanes and smart‑scale applications where appropriate. After public comment and discussion, a motion to approve the six‑year improvement program passed unanimously.

The board directed staff and VDOT to continue following up on citizen requests for additional studies and potential safety projects.