THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9602290107
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: The Road Warrior
LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
The promise of warm weather is always accompanied by a burst of road construction and this spring will be no different.
Indian River Road Phase VI is under construction now and involves the construction of two lanes of Independence Boulevard from Indian River Road to the dead end of Independence in the Glenwood subdivision.
The plan also calls for the installation of a traffic signal at Round Hill Drive and Independence Boulevard. Work on the project started last November and should be finished this November.
Construction to improve and widen the intersection of North Landing and Indian River roads will probably start in the next week or so and includes the installation of a traffic signal and left and right turn lanes. The project should be finished sometime in August.
This project may be tricky in that workers will probably have to shut down a lane at a time or even alternate traffic between lanes to get the work done. Engineers have promised that at least one lane in each direction will be operable by each day's evening rush hour.
And, of course, all project completion times are ``weather permitting.''
Also, a note about the Shore Drive Hazard Elimination Project: Last week Road got a request from Charlie Nash about whom to talk to about adding bicycle lanes to the proposed Shore Drive project.
Road got a call from Rich Nettleton, the man in charge of the project on the engineering end, who said that the improvements will leave plenty of room for cyclists even though it won't be specifically marked as a bike lane.
Nettleton says that the rumble strips, designed to awaken the sleeping driver or alert a driver that he's over the solid yellow line, will take up about two feet of the proposed 10-foot shoulder, leaving plenty of room for cyclists to ride and he fully expects them to do so.
Turns out the rumble strips will offer the added benefit of alerting cyclists, by way of sound, that a driver could be off the beaten track.
Construction on this project should start in late September or early October.
SNARLS OF THE WEEK
The following people called Road's INFOLINE number with their complaints.
Larry Walter, College Park. I was reading the concern by Crystal who said that the light at PROVIDENCE ROAD on either side of INDIAN RIVER ROAD was too short and the engineers disagreed.
Tell those engineers they don't know what they're talking about. They keep changing the timing. Sometimes there's definitely adequate time to clear all sides but then other times you can only get one or two cars through and that's it. So tell them to stop playing with the times and leave them alone for the longest time.
RW: Your concern is good timing, Larry, because engineers called Road this week to let everyone know that there may be a bad loop, the underground wire that detects a car's presence, there which would explain all the timing problems. They're going to send someone out to check it.
Debra Lee, Glen View Drive. I just read your article about the widening of KEMPSVILLE ROAD.
I'm wondering two things. Since it doesn't start until way late next year or possibly even the year after, does that mean the potholes that occurred from this winter are not going to be fixed?
Also, what are the chances of us getting a traffic light at the exit from DUNN LORING DRIVE onto Kempsville Road where they just put that big new church? Try to get out of here on a Sunday. Ha! You need God with you. Thanks.
RW: First, Debra, the potholes caused by this year's harsh winter should be fixed by regularly scheduled maintenance. As for a traffic signal, you'll probably have a good chance of getting one if the amount of traffic on Kempsville increases as they expect it will. Engineers say that the last vehicle count in that area wasn't high enough to install a signal. But, as Road said, hang around a while. That's bound to change.
Joyce,Great Neck. On the way to the Municipal Center, which I have to travel to every day, at SHIPPS CORNER and HOLLAND ROAD, the left-turn lane light is very very short and it's impossible for everyone at the light to get through. I was wondering if they could do something about that because you wait a long time for the people on Holland Road. Their light's too long and sometimes there's no one even coming through while we're sitting there waiting.
RW: Engineers say they'll take a look at the light between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. to see how it's working.
Teresa Henry, no address given. I'm calling about KEMPSVILLE ROAD. Why can't they just put more reflectors down the middle of the road? Instead of widening it, why can't they have some lights down there? That thing is a menace.
RW: Well, the purpose in widening a road, Teresa, is to allow more vehicles to travel it. Providing lights and reflectors would be a safety measure.
And, as with all of the new projects, lights and probably a minimum amount of reflectors will be installed.
Denise, Lake Placid. When you're coming out from LAKE PLACID onto LONDON BRIDGE ROAD the light used to trip when you went over it, but since we had that first major snowstorm in January it doesn't trip anymore. Can you call the city and see if you can get that fixed for us? Thank you.
RW: If the underground detectors aren't working properly the light would actually give more time to the side street, which, in this case, is Lake Placid.
For instance, say two cars are sitting at Lake Placid waiting to turn onto London Bridge. If the loop is bad it will stay green on the Lake Placid side longer because it won't detect that the cars that were sitting there, two in this case, have already gone. Make sense?
Again, assuming the loop is working properly you still have to wait for the detector to pick up the fact that you're sitting there. Then the light has to go through its full cycle to get to your side.
Can you offer more details about the time of day or night and an approximate idea of how long you're waiting for the green? 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