Road work

            It seems like we complain a lot about Goochland roads. Resistance to almost every rezoning application is headed by concerns about traffic and the inability of existing roads to handle more vehicles. Indeed, at some times of the day in many places, road capacity can be likened to trying to put ten pounds of manure in a five-pound bag.

            Road maintenance and construction in Goochland is handled by the Virginia Department of Transportation, VDOT with some input from the county.

            Few people ever bother to attend the annual public hearing on the secondary system six-year plan, used by the supervisors to prioritize road funding for county projects. This tends to be a multi-year proposition as a certain amount of funding is designated for spending on a project to be completed in the future. Inflation only complicates the process.

            Before its June 7 meeting, the Goochland Board of Supervisors met for the first of what are planned to be regular workshops to discuss transportation issues.

            Deputy County Administrator Jo Ann Hunter said that funding transportation projects ahs become more complicated, but happily, for the first time ever, Goochland has some money to use for this purpose. Communication with the board is needed to ensure that these funds are put to the best use. Another new initiative is quarterly meetings with VDOT and its willingness to share information and receive feedback from the county.

            Board Chair Neil Spoonhower, District 2, said that the county has many funding avenues, but things can change fast. “Staff is sitting around working at its usual 150 percent capacity when Rep. Spanberger calls and says, ‘hey I need a list of projects’ or another agency says ‘oh, by the way VDOT just found all this money we really want to bless you with this project’ at it gets things moving.” He said that it is really important that the board and staff be aligned as to what priorities are, so they respond appropriately when these opportunities arise. “Let’s hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

            Transportation Manager Austin Goyne gave an overview of the many transportation- related agencies that Goochland deals with. Regular emails summarizing their periodic meetings will go to the supervisors to keep them apprised of all transportation related matters. Quarterly VDOT executive meetings between Goochland staff and VDOT engineers have begun again, and summaries of those sessions will go to the supervisors.  Both Hunter and Goyne said that VDOT has been very responsive to county concerns and Goochland has a good relationship with the Ashland Residency.

             The first topic of discussion was applications submitted by the county for “Smart Scale” transportation projects. Goochland submitted five pre-applications, but only four can proceed through the final process to be considered for state funding. The final application deadline is August 1, the county may only submit four of the five chosen for pre-application.

            These are:

·       A “diverging diamond” on the Ashland Road bridge over Interstate 64. This would improve traffic flow in that very congested area without building a new bridge. The current cost estimate is $16.9 million, which equals the funding to be provided by the Central Viginia Transportation Authority (CVTA). The application would identify and fund shortfalls.

·       A roundabout at the Oilville Road/I64 westbound ramp, for the full amount of current $5.5 million estimate. This project is also in the FY23 Federal Appropriations bull.

·       Relocation of Hockett/Broad Street Road intersection. The current estimate of this project, which will keep the north end of Hockett open for through traffic and use a three-pronged roundabout that will be on Hockett north of Hickory Haven, is $15.5 million currently awarded full funding. The Smart Scale application is to fund gaps caused by inflation.

A roundabout will keep local access and ease through traffic flow.

·       Widening Broad Street Road west of Rt. 288. The application is for the full estimated amount of $17.6 million. This is mostly in Henrico, which gives it regional status.

·       Reconnection of Three Chopt Road under Rt. 288 behind the Audi Dealership. This is an economic development project. The application is for the full current estimated cost of $20 million. Staff is also pursuing funding through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.

Hunter pointed out that even if the county is not awarded Smart Scale funding the final application identifies funding shortfalls and more refined sketches to get a clear picture of cost. Scoring of the final applications comes out in January. She said that project awards are based on the amount of the “ask” versus the total cost of a project, the lower the ask, the higher the score.

The Three Chopt reconnection was dropped.

Goyne then reported on projects underway:

·       First phase of the East End trail system plans were last reviewd in January. Staff is working with VDOT to progress as quickly as possible. This project is currently slated for February 2023 advertisement with a July 2023-Augsut 2024 construction timeline.

·       Construction on the Fairground/Sandy Hook Road roundabout is scheduled to begin on July 25, 2022, with completion expected in October 2023. There will be two 30-day complete closures of the intersection to deal with utility work. Staff will coordinate with schools and businesses in the area to mitigate disruption as much as possible.

·       Widening Rt. 288 from Broad Street Road to Tuckahoe Creek Parkway will add a new lane with completion in the FY23-26 time frame at an estimated $16.8 million cost.

·       A badly needed Fairground Road corridor study with a rough cost estimate of $200k could be part of another funding cycle this fall.

The Central Virginia Transportation Authority allocates 50 percent of gas and sales tax back to localities. Goochland’s current account from CVTA is approximately $3.1 million. These funds must be spent on transportation related items. Staff recommend CVTA funds be used to cover the cost of the preliminary engineering and studies for future funding applications; cover the cost of small projects like the median reconstruction on River Road West to improve access to the Manakin Company 1 Fire-Rescue station; and cover any funding gaps in the Fairground Road roundabout.

A video of the workshop is available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ on the board of supervisors’ archive under the “watch county meetings” tab.