The Western Bypass has become the hot button issue of the summer for county candidates. Following the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s allocation of $230 million for the road project, James Norwood, a Republican candidate for the Scottsville district of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, issued a statement calling for improvements to Route 20 and 53.
“I have travelled these roads for many years and truly find them to be unsafe as evident of all the loss of life memorials seen on the shoulders,” Norwood said, adding that he has personally purchased signs asking motorists to slow down while driving through town.
“Everyone in my district has been tailgated on Route 20. We need to expand to three lanes for the adequate distance in both directions to allow for slow moving vehicles to move to the right for vehicles traveling the posted speed limit … The Scottsville district won’t be at the back of the line for transportation funds on my watch.”
Last night, Rivanna Supervisor Ken Boyd hosted a town hall meeting at Baker Butler Elementary School in Forest Lakes to discuss the design and engineering of the $250-million project.
Boyd was joined by three Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) staff members who helped clear up some misinformation about the Bypass’ northern terminus and the closure of Ashwood Blvd, which, according to Jim Utterback, “is not going to happen” as part of the project.
Although VDOT representatives insisted that the design process will include several opportunities for residents to voice their opinion, the more than 200 people who showed up wanted to know why the Board of Supervisors voted on the bypass before residents who will be directly affected had their say.
Boyd told the crowd that the late-night vote to resurrect the Bypass was the starting point for the discussion. After the vote, he said, there have been four public meetings on the matter.
For background on the Western Bypass, click here. Check Tuesday’s paper for more on the town hall meeting.