ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 21, 1996 TAG: 9612230030
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Dublin's Streets Committee will study ways to improve roads into, out of and around the Dublin Town Center.
"We know we have a couple of roads that were not designed totally correctly," Town Manager Gary Elander told Dublin Town Council Thursday night. He said the roads all meet minimum Department of Transportation standards, but other problems have popped up.
The main problems stem from trucks coming out of Newbern Road, which connects with Town Center Drive paralleling Virginia 100, or coming off Virginia 100 into the Town Center on Dublin Park Road.
Elander said possible fixes might include adding pavement at the Newbern Road approach where truck wheels can actually leave the road surface at certain speeds, and moving the curb back several feet at the traffic light where trucks turn off Virginia 100 into Dublin Park Road and tend to jump the curb.
The trucks also make wide turns, impeding other traffic, as they come off Newbern Road and turn onto Dublin Park Road as they head for the Virginia 100 light. Councilmen Dave Farmer and Sam Gregory said the drivers are not to blame because there is no way to make that turn without swinging wide.
Councilman Benny Skeens said he would like to reroute trucks on a separate access road away from the Dublin Town Center, where a new First National Bank branch recently opened and a new Dublin Town Hall will be open early next year. That could be difficult because of homes between Newbern Road and Virginia 100.
Mayor Benny Keister referred the matter to the Streets Committee for recommendations by council's next meeting Jan. 16.
The roads system has been the one major problem in the development of the Town Center. "I've read a lot about that out there," Farmer said of the Town Center. "But nowhere have I read about anyone taking credit for that road."
Council also accepted a $300,877 bid from Lucas Construction Co. to renovate one of the buildings in the Dublin Industrial Park, including four air-conditioned offices and bricking the outside to match the Town Hall brick. Both Dublin Town Center and the Industrial Park are part of the former Burlington Industries property acquired by the town in recent years.
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB