VDOT outlines short- and long-term fixes for Exit 47 intersection after crash concerns

VDOT resident office staff presented the Board with a set of short- and long-term concepts aimed at reducing crashes at the Exit 47 intersection on Route 11 near Marion. The presentation described a SmartScale-funded project (May–June 2024) that cost $628,000 and outlined four main engineering options to improve sight distance and turning conflicts.

"This was a smart scale project... The cost of it was 628,000 through vDOT," Matthew Lewis said as he summarized the project background and options. Lewis described Concept 1 as removing the southbound left-turn lane and shifting the stop bar forward to improve sight distance; Concept 2 would convert the junction to a three-way stop; another short-term fix would add a slip lane from the interstate to separate turning traffic; and longer-term options discussed included a roundabout or a traffic signal. On signals Lewis said a study alone would cost "200 to $250,000" and a signal installation could approach "1,000,000 to 2,500,000" dollars.

Board members and residents raised operational concerns: several said converting to a stop-controlled intersection could reduce some collision types but increase rear-end crashes and that large trucks need additional turning room. One board member suggested moving the lane into the grass to push the stop bar forward while another favored a slip lane that would remove turning vehicles from the sight-distance problem.

Lewis emphasized the tradeoffs and timeline: the slip-lane concept could be implemented quickly (he estimated about 60 days for a basic striping/sign plan), while a roundabout or signal would require right-of-way changes, coordination with the railroad and far longer study and construction timelines. He also recommended on-site field reviews, not only mapping from plans: "All I would ask is whoever's doing that, come to the Exit 47 area. Actually, sit there and look at it. Don't sit here and look at it on Google Maps and on a flashy paper and draw it out and say, well, it works." The board asked staff to produce concept drawings and bring the designs back to the transportation committee for further review.

Next steps: VDOT will produce drawings of the preferred concepts (including the slip lane and stop-bar adjustments) and provide those materials to the county transportation committee for on-site review and follow-up meetings.