VDOT to improve Route 11 business corridor in Augusta County

STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) – Route 11 (Lee Jackson Highway) near the edge of Staunton into Augusta County will have concrete medians installed to control traffic flow like many other projects in the Valley.

Route 11, U.S. 250 in Waynesboro and Broad Street in Waynesboro all have similarities — they are busy roads that connect businesses to highways. Also, all three of these roads have a Virginia Department of Transportation project planned to implement concrete medians. These medians will limit drivers from making a left turn across multiple lanes of traffic, by making designated roads people can take a U-turn at or turn left at.

All three of the roads have a two-way left turn lane — or a center turn lane — where traffic from both sides can merge into and wait for the perfect opportunity to cross. Ken Slack, communications manager for VDOT Staunton District, said these can sometimes be convenient for travelers looking to enter a side road or business, but they can also be frustrating because of queue times. In peak traffic, drivers can wait minutes before the road becomes clear enough to cross. Slack said sometimes people can get impatient and try to jump the traffic, which can cause an accident.

The projects — and the studies that identified the issues of these areas — look to address an increase in traffic flow around these roads. VDOT is estimating crashes will drop significantly in these areas when a concrete median is installed, Slack said.

“We work with the localities where there have been identified areas — whether it’s a corridor or a particular intersection — that has a higher than expected number of accidents, crashes, especially angle crashes. Those are sometimes caused when vehicles are pulling out of a business or a side street into traffic,” Slack said.

An angle crash — otherwise known as a T-Bone crash — can become deadly quickly, according to a study done by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. In the study, both drivers in the crash, especially the vehicle struck on its side, can face major injuries in these types of crashes due to the nature of the impact.

The Route 11 corridor project will have a public information meeting on Oct. 30 from 4-6 p.m. at the Frontier Culture Museum. People can speak to VDOT officials to learn more about the project and offer their feedback. The details of the project can also be found on the VDOT website.

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