VDOT News - Culpeper

CULPEPER — Residents in Fauquier County and surrounding areas will have an opportunity tonight to get information and make comments on the proposed safety improvements to U.S. 17 (Marsh Road) and Route 663 (Balls Mill Road/Covingtons Corner Road).

The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a design public hearing from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Bealeton Library, 10877 Willow Drive North, Bealeton, VA 22712. The meeting will be held in an open forum format where project team members will present information about the proposed project and answer questions. Attendees may also provide written or verbal comments about the project.

The project will convert the existing stop sign-controlled intersection of U.S. 17 (Marsh Road) and Route 663 (Balls Mill Road/Covingtons Corner Road) to a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) intersection. The RCUT design improves safety by reducing the number and severity of potential crash points at the intersection and moves traffic more efficiently, especially from the side streets.

In this innovative intersection design, all side street movements begin with a right turn. Through movements across the median and left turns from the side streets are prohibited. Two new median crossings with deceleration lanes will be created about two-tenths of a mile north and south of the intersection to allow U-turns for motorists who are no longer able to turn left at the intersection.

The $10 million project was funded in the fourth round of SMART SCALE project development in fiscal year 2022. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026 and be completed in the late fall of 2026. More information about the project, including a location map and aerial that displays the trail path and connections, may be found on the project web page: U.S. 17 at Route 663, Intersection Improvements, Fauquier County on the VDOT web site.

Questions about the project should be directed to Mr. David Cubbage, VDOT Location and Design, Culpeper District, (540) 727-7129, [email protected]. Comments may be made during the meeting or by mail to Mr. David Cubbage, VDOT Location and Design, 1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, VA 22701. Comments can also be emailed to [email protected]. All comments must be postmarked or emailed by Nov. 27, 2023.

Culpeper District updates are on the district’s Facebook page and the district’s Twitter account, @VaDOTCulp. For questions or to report hazardous road conditions, the public should contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

Current traffic conditions, VDOT’s statewide network of traffic cameras and other real-time travel information is on the 511Virginia website. That information is also available on the free VDOT 511 mobile app or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia.

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