THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602220124
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Road Warrior
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 122 lines
Transportation officials have a proposal in the works to widen Kempsville Road in parts of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
The plan calls for widening the road from two to four lanes from the west city line of Virginia Beach to around Tallwood Elementary School, just east of Centerville Turnpike. The road would spread out to six lanes at the intersection with Centerville.
Also under the plan, Kempsville Road would be widened to six lanes from that city line to the intersection with Volvo Parkway at Orchard Square shopping center in Chesapeake.
A public hearing on the project will be held within several months. If the plans hold, construction would start by late 1997 or early 1998.
Another, more controversial part of the plan would widen Kempsville Road to six lanes from Volvo Parkway at Orchard Square to Greenbrier Parkway and then on to Battlefield Boulevard.
The widening apparently has something to do with major residential, commercial and industrial development in the area that may eventually dump another 60,000 to 80,000 cars onto Kempsville Road weekly.
Road'll keep you informed of the progress, or lack thereof.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Colleen Benson, Sandbridge. I drive GENERAL BOOTH to HOLLAND ROAD to HAYGOOD every day and I wanted to comment about the lanes not being repainted.
I think it's a crime that our lanes and turn lanes aren't being marked. However, the city seems to have plenty of time to repave the stretch of road on General Booth from London Bridge to the Princess Anne intersection.
That road did not need to be repaved. It seems to me they should have spent that time repainting our turn lanes and our center lanes on our city roads.
RW: According to the paving department an asphalt test done on General Booth showed that the asphalt mixture of rocks and sand and stuff didn't fall within the city's standards. The road was signed off on in 1982 and the contractor took a loss because the mixture wasn't right. Some 13 years later, it was decided to go ahead and tear up the old asphalt and replace it with an approved asphalt mixture.
Again, according to the folks in paving, the road had ``some cracking and some deterioration'' but it was nothing that an average citizen would have noticed.
A total waste of time, manpower and money? You decide.
Charlie Nash, Oceanfront. Regarding SHORE DRIVE. Who could we petition, as a group or through bike shops, to get the shoulders that they want to put on Shore Drive to include bike paths so you can ride bikes down there? It'd be a beautiful road if you could take a bike down it.
RW: Well, Charlie, the project engineer is Rich Nettleton. You can reach him at 427-4131. Road's not sure if you're too late to add your two cents worth because the project was recently approved by City Council and the improvements should be started sometime in October.
The Old Soldier, Virginia Beach. I'm calling in reference to cars driving in the rain without headlights on. There's a law that requires this, but it gets no attention. I even called AAA and they were lukewarm about putting anything in their newsletter.
People don't realize that they have to have lights on to be seen (not so they can see) through fogged up windows and heavy precipitation. I think publicity for this would be a big help.
RW: The topic comes up nearly every time we have inclement weather because people refuse to follow the rules of the road even though it's for their own safety. Virginia law does state that in ``inclement'' weather headlights should be on for safety. Inclement weather includes rain, snow and fog.
North Carolina law calls for lights to be on whenever the wipers are on, which is not a bad rule to follow.
Gino Dortoluzzi, no address given. On PRINCESS ANNE ROAD going toward GENERAL BOOTH at the intersection with SEABOARD ROAD there should be a turning lane off to the right.
It would improve the flow of traffic. Too many cars get stuck at that light because they want to go toward the Beach and they have to wait for the turning cars. That little intersection needs a turning lane. See what you think.
RW: A right lane would help in this area especially as you say, Gino, for those who want to go straight and but are blocked by right-turners. Though the idea isn't a bad one, engineers have no plans to address this particular issue any time soon. It may be something that will be addressed in the future or maybe when Ferrell Parkway is expanded between Princess Anne and General Booth and cars can go that route instead. That expansion is on the Master Street and Highway Plan, but it's not in the Capital Improvement Plan.
Virginia, no address given. I wanted to inquire as to why there aren't any street lights on most of the new part of INDEPENDENCE BOULEVARD? It makes it kind of confusing over there and it certainly ought to be a major enough road to have street lights.
RW: What happens is after the construction is complete, Virginia Power comes in and installs the wiring, poles and the lights. Virginia Power owns and maintains the lights and the poles. Right now, Virginia Power is doing the wiring and the poles should be going up any day.
W.P., College Park. The engineers are wrong about the light at PROVIDENCE and INDIAN RIVER ROADS. I have to jump-start the through traffic to make a left onto Indian River.
In the early morning and afternoon hours, only three cars can go straight through that light and the 5 p.m. traffic is backed up for two blocks waiting to get through that stupid light. Those engineers need to look again.
RW: There are different timing patterns throughout the day for this signal and a lot of others in the city.
Between 3 and 6:30 p.m. the cycle length gives Providence Road the green for about 32 seconds. Between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., you can get as few as eight and as many as 30 seconds to clear the green.
The signal is actuated, which means when someone hits the detector the light will phase around. Now, if three cars go through and the fourth guy is asleep at the wheel for four seconds, the light will think that no one else is there and cycle back to Indian River.
As for those left turns, there is no protected green or green arrow, but you have to remember that if one is installed the green cycle length will have to be even shorter to accommodate the new phase. 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