Kudos to VDOT on Belmont Ridge Road

Wow. I was totally impressed today. I received a call at work from VDOT about "the issue I had raised." I was thrown for a loop (what issue?!?) until he explained further.

I had emailed our former supervisor in early December about my concern about Belmont Ridge Road. Knowing that road improvements are decades off, I wanted to know if anything could be done to improve the visibility of the road/lines when it is dark and wet. I commute on the road, and I'm frequently terrified when I can't see the center painted lines...oncoming traffic and wet/dark road conditions make it near impossible to tell whether you've strayed into the oncoming traffic or off the shoulder to the ditch. Even slowing to 10-15 mph doesn't help. I wondered whether they could add reflectors to the center lines, or add painted lines on the sides (nothing exists to the sides now).

So...3 months later and having heard nothing, I assumed that a lame duck had ignored my question. I am very impressed to report that it did go somewhere, and they even took the effort to call me and let me know what they had done. They did investigate, and while the road conditions (poor) can't support the reflectors now, they are planning to repaint the center line and add side painted lines in the next few weeks (weather permitting). I was afraid that the roadway was too narrow to support the side lines, but they measured the width from route 7 to Evergreen Mills Road and found that they can do it.

Thanks, VDOT! Now to see what we can do about our traffic lights...