Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 11, 1995 TAG: 9507110096
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
A handful of residents of Piney Woods Road in southwest Montgomery County turned out Monday to urge that their road be placed on a list of six-year paving priorities.
Their pleas paid off. The county Board of Supervisors took improvements to the Blacksburg area's Mount Tabor Road off the very bottom of the 23-road list and placed Piney Woods Road in its place. The board voted 5-3 on the move, with Blacksburg-area supervisors Joe Gorman, Larry Linkous and Jim Moore on the losing side.
Piney Woods now enters the list with a preliminary paving date of late 2004.
The strong showing from the Riner area definitely had an impact on the board before it adopted the plan.
``It just makes us all angry to go up and down that road,'' said Piney Woods Road resident Robin Murphy, who lives at the base of what locals describe as ``Washboard Hill'' for its bumpy ride.
``Find that money somehow and get this thing paved,'' Murphy urged.
``When 98 percent of the people are from one area, that means the list needs to be balanced out,'' said Supervisor Henry Jablonski, who represents that part of Montgomery. Six of the nine speakers at the secondary-system road hearing were from southwest Montgomery County, including three from Piney Woods. It was one of the smallest showings for such a hearing in recent years, longtime observers said.
Piney Woods residents said the 2.2 miles of paving would directly aid the 23 people who live along that section, plus it would take pressure off Indian Valley Road.
The Board of Supervisors and state Transportation Department use the list to set priorities for scarce secondary-road improvement funds. Montgomery has about 125 miles of unpaved roads but has state funding to pave only two miles a year. At least 100 miles of unpaved roads carry more than enough traffic to qualify for paving, state officials say.
Meanwhile, the supervisors heard overwhelming opposition to a plan to close Oldtown Road in Shawsville between Shawsville High and Middle schools.
Twelve of 13 speakers opposed the plan, proposed by PTAs at the schools, and urged the board to look for an alternative. The PTAs said closing the road would improve safety for students, who routinely cross Oldtown Road. The road runs between the schools.
Residents said the closure would make their homes less accessible to rescue squads and fire engines and would present a safety hazard for farming equipment that passes through the area in lieu of using U.S. 11/460. Resident Ronald Rakes also worried that the road would be closed just so the school could be expanded.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***