THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 26, 1995 TAG: 9505260535
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Transportation officials are pleading with commuters to try an alternative route to the Outer Banks this Memorial Day weekend.
The route is being used to divert traffic from often-congested U.S. Route 168 - a road of frustration for drivers headed south and north. The roadway is known as Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake.
Construction along North Carolina's section of U.S. Route 168, combined with predicted traffic increases at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, is expected to cause significant traffic delays this weekend, said officials of the state Department of Transportation.
Blue and white signs that read ``To Outer Banks'' have been placed along Interstates 664 and 64 to remind motorists.
The new route is meant to combat a Memorial Day weekend that is expected to bring with it ``worse than usual'' holiday traffic, according to a state press release.
The alternate route:
Take exit 292 off Interstate 64. Travel south on Dominion Boulevard and then south on U.S. Route 17. Go east on N.C. Route 343 at South Mills. Turn left on N.C. Route 158 at Bellcross. Route 158 will lead to U.S. Route 168, the main thoroughfare for Outer Banks traffic.
Motorists coming from Richmond are also being asked to take the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel to avoid congestion at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
The route is meant to divert only weekend traffic, according to Mary Ann Saunders, assistant to the city manager in Chesapeake. There is some worry by transportation officials that, if motorists use the alternate route during weekdays, there could be congestion along the two-lane roads.
To further combat gridlock, two Chesapeake police officers will be stationed along Battlefield Boulevard at Ballahack and Hillwell roads in unmarked patrol cars. They plan to patrol the road and manually control traffic signals to speed up Outer Banks-bound traffic.
Two additional officers will be patrolling the route by motorcycles. The police will be monitoring traffic at two intersections and, it's hoped, battling congestion by alleviating backups.
The alternate route to the Outer Banks is about 15 minutes longer - when there is little traffic on U.S. Route 17.
However, with the expected delays on U.S. Route 168, more time will likely be saved by using it, according to transportation officials.
``It's not a foolproof plan,'' said state transportation spokesman Bill Cannell, ``but it's an alternative.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MAC DANIEL/Staff
U.S. Route 17, George Washington Highway, is part of the suggested
alternative for getting to the Outer Banks. Highway officials expect
worse-than-usual traffic this Memorial Day weekend.
by CNB