Greene County tables VDOT six-year secondary plan to allow review of Turkey Ridge Road

The Greene County Board of Supervisors voted to table adoption of the Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) proposed secondary six-year plan for fiscal years 2027'2032, directing staff and VDOT to re-evaluate whether Turkey Ridge Road can be added to the priority list.

Chair (reading the agenda) opened the public hearing on the plan and then took questions from supervisors after a presentation by Matthew Mishati, assistant resident engineer at the Charlottesville residency. Mishati outlined eligibility rules for the unpaved-to-hard-surface grant, including traffic-count thresholds and a requirement that roads provide safe two-way passage. Mishati said, "Green County has a total 80 miles of gravel roads. 40 of those miles qualify simply based on traffic counts," and identified Middle River Road, Entry Run Road, Simmons Gap, and Bacon Hollow among proposed priorities.

Several supervisors questioned why Turkey Ridge Road was not on the list and pressed VDOT staff to re-check prior reviews for width, drainage, and other criteria. One supervisor told the engineer, "I would love to add it to the plan tonight, if we're allowed to do that, and then work together to try to come up with ways that we can make it comply," expressing concerns about weekend tourism traffic and safety.

After discussion, a motion to table the six-year plan until June 9 passed by roll-call vote. The board asked VDOT to pull records for Turkey Ridge Road, verify prior measurements and constraints (notably width and drainage), and return with options for spot improvements or a plan to make the road eligible for paving under the program. The board emphasized it wanted a clear record and a traffic-count analysis before final action.