The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996              TAG: 9602150172
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON    PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: The Road Warrior 
                                             LENGTH: Long  :  106 lines

PRIVATE SNOW REMOVAL AT PUNGO DONE BY GOOD-HEARTED CITIZEN

It didn't take long to find out what good-hearted person was plowing snow off the roads down in Pungo last week during our winter storm.

The responsible party's mother-in-law, Barbara Eby, called to brag about her son-in-law, Eric Cross.

Cross is the owner of CROSSXROADS , a parking lot striping and maintenance company he runs out of his home on Charity Neck Road.

Cross could have leased his truck out to subcontractors and made some money clearing parking lots and such, but, instead, he hired two subcontractors to drive his vehicle to clear the roads from his house up to Gum Bridge Road to Princess Anne and on into Pungo, says Eby.

Cross decided to do the nice deed so that ``the folks who lived out this way could get out on the roads,'' she says.

Cross himself is disabled and seeking medical treatment in Florida right now. Let's wish him well. And, Eric, here's a personal thanks from the Road Warrior for being such a swell fellow.

Speaking of kind hearts . . . take some time this weekend and check your child's car safety seat to be sure it's installed correctly. Saturday marks the last day of National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week and officials are hoping folks will ``Buckle Up for Love.''

Also, a word or two about a project that started this month. The Virginia Department of Transportation is applying a ``thin-bonded concrete asphalt overlay'' to the Lesner Bridge on Shore Drive.

Eastbound traffic is being rerouted to the westbound side, while work is being performed on the eastbound lanes.

Two-way traffic on the westbound side will be in effect until early March. Then traffic will be switched to the new, improved eastbound side while the other lanes are done. All in all, the work is supposed to be completed before Memorial Day.

SNARLS OF THE WEEK

The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.

Dorothy, no address given. I'm calling to say that the markings on the overpass facing east at the GREAT NECK ROAD intersection with VIRGINIA BEACH BOULEVARD should be repainted. When you go up and over to latch onto Laskin, you'd have to be born here to know where the lanes are. Thank you. Bye bye.

RW: You'd have to be born here! Ha ha! Great saying because it's becoming that way all over the city. Road's not sure what's going on with our road maintenance. The last I heard they were behind schedule on normal maintenance such as restriping, but the more I hear the more I think they're really really really behind schedule. Things are getting downright dangerous out there. Road plans a future column on this very subject. Street markings, or lack thereof, seem to be the No. 1 reader gripe this year.

Paul, no address given. I was just calling because I saw a police officer run a red light and I watched another one watch somebody run a red light.

I just want to let those officers know that they need to follow the rules and enforce the rules. Thanks. Bye.

RW: Well, to err is human, Paul. You can't take the human out of the cop and Road's not so sure we'd want to!

Dawn, Kempsville. I just want to respond to Terry of Virginia Beach about enforcement on the HOV-2 lanes. Last Wednesday the lanes were packed with cops and it upset me because there are very few people using the HOV lanes and everybody's all packed in on the right three lanes and I think they should open those HOV lanes for less congestion in all the lanes.

I just wanted to let you know that the cops are showing up. I saw three cops in the space of five minutes pulling people over who were driving in the HOV-2 lanes by themselves.

RW: The idea behind HOV-2, Dawn, is to encourage folks to carpool to cut down on congestion and pollution. The problem around here seems to be that not everyone clocks in and out at the same time so riding together is not always feasible. Maybe light rail somewhere would be a better idea?

Raymond Havens, Wolfsnare Plantation. Where FIRST COLONIAL crosses GREAT NECK ROAD into Laurel Cove, there are four lanes going west - one to turn left onto Great Neck, two going straight and one to turn right and head north on Great Neck.

Very seldom is it necessary to have but one lane into Laurel Cove and many times is it necessary to have two going left onto Great Neck heading south.

People will barge into the line there and I've missed being hit a couple of times. It's just bad news.

It should be two turning left, one going straight and one going right. I know the people that live in there might put up a beef but it's not that big of an area. Thank you.

RW: Rest easy, Raymond. Engineers have been looking at a change in that intersection for some time so your suggestion is not way off the mark. It may be feasible. However, engineers are still studying what they want to do. But, hey, they are doing something.

Crystal. I was calling about PROVIDENCE ROAD on either side of INDIAN RIVER and why the light is so short. It's really aggravating in the evening and they need to check it out. Thanks.

RW: Engineers say the light should be clearing most everyone during its green phase. During peak times there may be one or two cars left waiting to catch the second cycle. Otherwise, there shouldn't be that big of a problem there and they haven't heard anything about it from anyone else.

Engineers do say if you happen upon the area late at night, the light should be on standby, which means it will switch to where the car or cars are sitting. MEMO: Tell the Road Warrior about your motoring problems. Get 'em off your

chest. Call on Infoline, at 640-5555. After a brief message, dial ROAD

(7623). When directed, press 1 to deliver your message, and 1 again to

sign off.

Or, write: The Road Warrior, Virginia Beach Beacon, 4565 Virginia

Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, Va. 23462.

Don't forget to include your name, address and neighborhood.

by CNB