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Wythe supervisors approve VDOT six‑year additions; Crawfish Road funding set for later years
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Summary
After a joint VDOT public hearing, the Wythe County Board of Supervisors voted to add six roads to the secondary six‑year plan and approved the FY26‑27 secondary construction budget; VDOT said construction on newly added sections would not begin until projects are fully funded (targeted FY32/July 2031).
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday night to add six local roads to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) secondary six‑year plan and approved the secondary system construction budget for fiscal year 2026‑27.
The action followed a joint public hearing in which VDOT representatives described the plan and residents urged quicker work on Crawfish Road. The board adopted resolutions to add Gap of the Ridge Road, Sheffytown Road, Olive Branch Road, Crawfish Road, Fox 10 Road and Zion Church Road to the six‑year plan and then approved a motion to adopt the six‑year plan and the FY26‑27 secondary construction budget as presented.
Why it matters: the six‑year plan determines the timing of state funding for secondary roads. VDOT’s presentation and follow‑up answers to residents’ questions made clear that “being on the plan” preserves a project’s priority but does not guarantee immediate construction — a project typically receives full funding at the end of the plan window. James Schwartz of VDOT said the first 0.8‑mile section of Crawfish was added last year and funded this year; if the board adds the additional sections now, VDOT projected they would be fully funded in FY32, with construction possible in July 2031 once funding and engineering are complete.
Resident concerns and VDOT timeline: multiple residents described safety, washouts, heavy farm and recreational traffic, and the health impacts of dust on Crawfish Road. Resident Ted Canarazi said the board previously appropriated roughly $155,000 toward the project and asked whether the board planned to commit the remaining funds to complete the most hazardous phase. VDOT said funds left over from under‑budget projects ($141,299) plus tele‑fee and unpaid road funding totaling about $1,031,678 were available to add the additional roads to the plan; Schwartz said shifting a project earlier in the priority list is possible but would require moving other projects to later years.
Board action and next steps: supervisors moved, seconded and approved the resolutions and the plan. The board’s approval keeps the roads on the prioritized list; VDOT staff offered to meet directly with residents and supervisors to review potential revenue‑sharing options that could accelerate projects if local participants contribute matching funds. VDOT also said it would provide maintenance‑cost estimates upon request.
The board closed the public hearing, took the vote on the resolutions and then proceeded to other agenda items. The board scheduled follow‑up meetings between residents and VDOT staff to discuss timing, maintenance responsibilities and potential revenue‑sharing to expedite projects.
