Representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Michael Baker International held an informational meeting for the public on April 25, 2018 to present their findings from the Route 301 and Route 207 Corridor Study. At some point during the process, the study became the Arterial Preservation Plan, which essentially means VDOT plans to preserve or save the main traffic artery of Routes 301 and 207.
Paul Prideaux gave the presentation and said that VDOT expected the corridor, specifically between Carmel Church, Virginia and the Harry Nice Bridge over the Potomac River, to have more traffic and development going forward. Their plan for this 40-plus mile stretch of road was an "intellectual approach" that used the theory of access management to reduce conflict points, modify medians and access points, and to use innovative intersections all in an effort to provide a safer drive.
Prideaux said they worked with various parties that had an interest in the corridor, namely King George County, Caroline County, military leadership at Dahlgren and Fort A. P. Hill, and others. He said a lot of the recommendations were related to cross-over improvements. These improvements could be removing them completely, adding turn lanes, or improving access.
One important note Prideaux had for those attending was that the presentation was just a plan. Nothing was set in stone, nothing was funded, and nothing was going to be finished by tomorrow. He said implementing the plan "could be two years, could be twenty years" and that it was more of a master plan of ideas.
He ended the presentation by answering a few questions from the audience. There was a question about VDOT acquiring land now to future use as traffic increased enough to require a fly-over or grade-separated traffic pattern. Prideaux said no, VDOT hasn't acquired this or discussed this but in the future it certainly could be something that becomes necessary as traffic increases. Another question from the audience was regarding the potential future of this route to become an interstate. Prideaux said there has never been any discussion or mention of that from any meeting he has been in. He said there may have been plans for that in the past but currently there are none.
Prideaux then left the audience to view the detailed plans on their own or talk to any of the numerous VDOT representatives present to have their questions answered. With roughly ten representatives present, everyone had a chance to ask questions about roads or intersections that were important to them.
Prideaux was asked earlier in his presentation about how they studied the amount of traffic that was present and he said they studied the maximum peak hours and then extrapolated from there. When I asked for clarification later, he said they studied traffic at 60 minute intervals from Monday through Friday. While he said they did not specifically study weekend traffic or the differences between school year and summer traffic, they attempted to apply an extreme amount of traffic to their study to ensure it would work. His example was that if there was an expected growth rate of two percent every year, they would double it to four percent to ensure the plan could handle the load.
After the meeting, Ruby Brabo, At-Large Supervisor, said the King George Board of Supervisors expressed preferences for a few intersections. For the Route 301 and Route 206 intersection in Dahlgren, she said the Board preferred the Median U-Turn (MUT) plan over the Quadrant Roadway (QR) plan. Brabo also said the Board preferred the QR plan for the intersection of Route 301 and Owens Drive across from the B-Gate in Dahlgren.
All of the details about the Arterial Preservation Plan can be found online on the VDOT website. For specific details on the recommendations for King George County, the presentation can be found here. Details on the recommendations for Caroline County can be found here.
Paul Prideaux gave the presentation and said that VDOT expected the corridor, specifically between Carmel Church, Virginia and the Harry Nice Bridge over the Potomac River, to have more traffic and development going forward. Their plan for this 40-plus mile stretch of road was an "intellectual approach" that used the theory of access management to reduce conflict points, modify medians and access points, and to use innovative intersections all in an effort to provide a safer drive.
Prideaux said they worked with various parties that had an interest in the corridor, namely King George County, Caroline County, military leadership at Dahlgren and Fort A. P. Hill, and others. He said a lot of the recommendations were related to cross-over improvements. These improvements could be removing them completely, adding turn lanes, or improving access.
One important note Prideaux had for those attending was that the presentation was just a plan. Nothing was set in stone, nothing was funded, and nothing was going to be finished by tomorrow. He said implementing the plan "could be two years, could be twenty years" and that it was more of a master plan of ideas.
He ended the presentation by answering a few questions from the audience. There was a question about VDOT acquiring land now to future use as traffic increased enough to require a fly-over or grade-separated traffic pattern. Prideaux said no, VDOT hasn't acquired this or discussed this but in the future it certainly could be something that becomes necessary as traffic increases. Another question from the audience was regarding the potential future of this route to become an interstate. Prideaux said there has never been any discussion or mention of that from any meeting he has been in. He said there may have been plans for that in the past but currently there are none.
Prideaux then left the audience to view the detailed plans on their own or talk to any of the numerous VDOT representatives present to have their questions answered. With roughly ten representatives present, everyone had a chance to ask questions about roads or intersections that were important to them.
Prideaux was asked earlier in his presentation about how they studied the amount of traffic that was present and he said they studied the maximum peak hours and then extrapolated from there. When I asked for clarification later, he said they studied traffic at 60 minute intervals from Monday through Friday. While he said they did not specifically study weekend traffic or the differences between school year and summer traffic, they attempted to apply an extreme amount of traffic to their study to ensure it would work. His example was that if there was an expected growth rate of two percent every year, they would double it to four percent to ensure the plan could handle the load.
After the meeting, Ruby Brabo, At-Large Supervisor, said the King George Board of Supervisors expressed preferences for a few intersections. For the Route 301 and Route 206 intersection in Dahlgren, she said the Board preferred the Median U-Turn (MUT) plan over the Quadrant Roadway (QR) plan. Brabo also said the Board preferred the QR plan for the intersection of Route 301 and Owens Drive across from the B-Gate in Dahlgren.
All of the details about the Arterial Preservation Plan can be found online on the VDOT website. For specific details on the recommendations for King George County, the presentation can be found here. Details on the recommendations for Caroline County can be found here.
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