VDOT schedules July 27 public hearing for Woodrow Wilson Avenue improvements in Augusta County

STAUNTON — The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing concerning roadway and intersection improvements to Route 358 (Woodrow Wilson Avenue) in Augusta County near Fishersville. The meeting will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 27, at Wilson Elementary School, 127 Woodrow Wilson Avenue, Fishersville, VA 22939.

Citizens can come in during the meeting hours and discuss the project on a one-on-one basis with VDOT officials and designers. Written comments can be submitted at the meeting or within 10 days after the meeting date to Mr. Anthony Pelina, Project Manager. Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401-9029. Oral comments can be recorded at the meeting with the assistance of a court reporter.

This project will help alleviate congestion, reduce delays and enhance safety at the entrance to the Wilson complex, particularly during morning and afternoon peak hours.

The Wilson complex is the site of elementary, middle and high schools, a regional technical education center, the state rehabilitation and workforce training center, some residential development, and county-owned offices and maintenance facilities. The multitude of uses and associated traffic demand are currently served by a single entrance, Woodrow Wilson Avenue, which connects to Route 250 (Jefferson Highway) at a signalized intersection. The peak morning queue extends up to a half-mile along Route 250 east of the intersection.

The project will add a free-flowing right-turn lane from westbound Route 250 into the Wilson Complex. This improvement includes a concrete triangular median on Route 250 to separate the right turn from the rest of traffic.

An additional northbound lane on Woodrow Wilson Avenue will extend 2,400 feet to the intersection of with Hornet Road and Vo-Tech Road. This intersection will be replaced by a roundabout.

Additional improvements include a separate right-turn lane from southbound Woodrow Wilson Avenue onto westbound Route 250, and signal-timing adjustments at the Route 250/Woodrow Wilson Avenue/Lifecore Drive intersection.

This project is in support of recommended results from a Small Area Study conducted by the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization.

In 2020 Woodrow Wilson Avenue had an average traffic volume of 6,700 vehicles per day. By the design year of 2045 the estimated traffic volume is 7,500 vehicles per day.

In 2020 Route 250 had an average traffic volume of 20,400 (west of intersection) and 16,400 (east of intersection) vehicles per day. By the design year of 2045 the estimated traffic volume is 25,500 (west of intersection) and 20,500 (east of intersection) vehicles per day.

The total estimated cost of this project is $6,847,609, which includes $907,247 for preliminary engineering, $1,332,009 for right of way and $4,608,353 for construction. This project received funding from Virginia’s SMART SCALE program for prioritizing transportation improvements.

Additional information can be found on the project page.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.

Obtain traffic alerts and traveler information by dialing 511 or visiting 511Virginia.org. For other assistance, call the VDOT Customer Service Center, available 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week. Citizens can dial 1-800-FOR- ROAD (1-800-367-7623) from anywhere in the state to report road hazards, ask transportation questions, or get information related to Virginia’s roads.

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