Lane Ranger: Why is realignment taking so long?

By the Lane Ranger
Published: March 16, 2008

Dear Lane Ranger: Don’t you think it is about time they step up the realignment of Waterfall and Va. 234?

I have lived off Waterfall for 11 years and it still scares me to try and get onto U.S. 15.

I do know that NO vehicle, truck or other wise slows down to 45 mph from the fire station to pass Waterfall.

When I go 45 mph I have a lot of mad drivers behind me but you know what, I DON’T CARE!

I have gotten into the habit of going down Waterfall to Antioch Road to U.S. 55 just to avoid the intersection.

Joelene Dennis

Dear Joelene: The company working on the project looking to complete the realignment by this summer, said Khataab Shammout, who’s in charge of road bond projects for Prince William County.

Branch Highways is working on various projects along the highway to make intersections safer and to make connections to existing roads. The construction is very welcome and long overdue.
Good for you for slowing down. It’s obvious you’re looking out for the safety of others.

Dear Lane Ranger: The intersection of Mine Road and Van Buren appears to be an accident waiting to happen. There is a stop sign on Van Buren but no stop on Mine Road, which approaches the intersection of Van Buren at a curve.

Drivers have to pull far out onto the road to see if it is clear to get on Mine Road. It appears that it would be a lot more hazardous for a school bus to make this dangerous maneuver as it cannot make it across the road as well as a car can.

I don’t see why they could not put a four way stop sign there — it could possibly save lives.

Paul Hurley, Triangle

Dear Paul: Although the Virginia Department of Transportation did not find a need to place a stop on Mine Road at Van Buren, it will change the existing signs approaching the intersection to caution drivers at the curve.

Local officials asked VDOT to study the intersection’s sight distance earlier this month and engineers with the road agency said the sight distance for a car traveling from Van Buren was adequate within VDOT’s stanards.

That’s according to Mike Salmon, VDOT’s spokesman in Northern Virginia. Salmon said there were two crashes there in the past three years, but even still, because of the sharp curve and underpass, VDOT officials don’t believe a stop sign is needed.

Maybe it would be a good idea for traffic on Mine Road to honk — a la covered bridge etiquette — as they drive under the overpass for traffic on Van Buren to hear them coming.

Dear Lane Ranger: I was wondering when and if VDOT will ever attend to extending the HOV lanes at the Dumfries exit? VDOT completed the HOV bridge extension in this area approximately three years ago and the local residents have to put up with massive backups, accidents and traffic delays in this area where the merge into the regular lanes begin.

Is it because of the Springfield interchange, which is now complete, that residents have had to wait so long?

Can the residents of this area expect an extension of the HOV to grant them relief, anytime soon? Thanking you in advance for a reply.

Sincerely Yours,
Jeffry E. Milton

Dear Jeffry: The middle bridge was built in anticipation of an HOV extension, but there’s still no cash to get it done. Lawmakers are going to enter another bout of transportation funding debates next month, but even if they find a way to build more roads, it doesn’t seem that taxpayer money will decide the fate of the HOV lanes.

There is a company jockeying for a deal with the state to build High Occupancy Toll lanes where the HOV lanes exist today.

In that case, the state would lease the HOV lanes to Transurban, which would extend HOV to Spotsylvania County then charge single occupant vehicles a variable and limitless toll to ride. Vehicles with three or more passengers would still ride free, officials say.

Is there anyone in Prince William County who thinks HOT lanes are a good idea?
The response to this idea seems overwhelmingly negative. If you have a comment, send it.

Send signal questions or report an issue to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Traffic Center: call 703-383-VDOT, write or visit virginiadot.org/travel/citizen.asp
For the latest road conditions, call 511 from any telephone in Virginia.