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Improvements also coming to Routes 1 & 610, Mountain View Rd.
What’s going to make traffic run smoother on Route 1 in front of Stafford County Courthouse?
The answer is dedicated left turn lanes at Courthouse Road, and at the intersection of Bells Hill and Hope roads, according to a county report.
The stretch of Route 1 at the heart of the county is one to avoid on weekday afternoons when traffic backs up at one of the two signal lights in the area. With dedicated left turn lanes, drivers turning left will be able to pull their cars into those lanes and not stall other drivers going straight or turning right.
The Bowman Consulting Group will be paid $798,431 to engineer the left turn lanes plan, according to the county report. The project will be divided into two phases – first constructing the left turn lanes at Courthouse Road, and then constructing left turn lanes where Route 1 meets Bells Hill and Hope roads.
County officials say transportation is a “critical part of the county’s road improvement plan and redevelopment plan.” Several streetscape improvements, such as new sidewalks and streetlights, have been installed in the area around the courthouse.
The county is also looking at improving other failing intersections. At the intersection of Route 1 and Garrisonville Road (Route 610), officials propose adding additional right turn lanes from Route 1 south to Route 610 west to cut down on congested traffic during the afternoon rush hour.
On Mountain View Road, the lanes are being widened to a consistent 12 feet wide on a 1.3 mile stretch of the two-lane road from Joshua Road to Rose Hill Farm Drive. The road’s shoulders will also be wider, increasing from their current one to two feet in some places to eight feet wide throughout the 1.3-mile stretch of road.
County officials said drivers will be able to maintain a “safe” speed limit of 40 miles per hour along the improved portion of the road when work is complete. Drivers should also notice improved curves and sight distances after the roadwork is completed.
