Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 13, 1994                   TAG: 9401130065
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ROAD TO LAKE GETS LOW PRIORITY IN COUNCIL PLAN

City Council's new thoroughfare plan calls only for a study of Virginia 116 and lake access.

Bowers had wanted the city to give high priority to improvements to either Virginia 116 or possibly to a new road from downtown to Southeast Roanoke to provide faster access to the lake.

But William Clark, city public works director, said the traffic count on 116 does not appear to be high enough to justify a higher ranking among the city's highway needs. Many other streets that need improvements have a much higher volume, he said.

Virginia 116 winds its way through the city, across Windy Gap Mountain in Franklin County and on to the lake.

It follows Jefferson Street, Walnut Avenue, Piedmont Street, Riverland Road and Mount Pleasant Boulevard as it leaves the city.

Bowers said the winding route and jacklegs at some places slow traffic and discourage use.

When the 20-year thoroughfare plan was presented to council last month, there was no mention of improving Virginia 116. Bowers raised the issue, and council asked City Manager Bob Herbert and his staff to review it.

This week, Herbert recommended that the project be studied, but he did not include it on the priority list.

Bowers said he was pleased the city manager agreed to a study, but he wanted a stronger statement on the project in the thoroughfare plan.

"I was not entirely displeased with the revision," he said, "but I think the issue is going to come up again."

To benefit economically from the lake, Roanoke needs to make it easier for lake residents to come into the city, Bowers said.

He also objects to a proposal in the thoroughfare plan to build a southbound exit ramp from the Roy L. Webber Highway onto Overland Road Southwest.

When the plan first was considered, some council members got the mistaken impression that the Overland Road exit would replace the Wonju Street exit, diverting traffic away from Towers Shopping Center.

Clark reassured council members this week that there is no plan to close the Wonju exit. He said the Overland ramp would supplement the Wonju exit.

But Bowers said he objects to dumping traffic into a residential area. The city needs to improve Wonju and Colonial Avenue near Towers, he said, rather than building another exit ramp at Overland.

The thoroughfare plans call for Wonju to be extended to Brandon Avenue along a route generally southwest of Towers.

"We need that road, and we need to improve Colonial Avenue," Bowers said.

None of the projects in the thoroughfare plan is likely to be started in the next six years, because the city's highway funds have been committed to projects already approved by council.