U.S. 11 North Upgrades Sought

Traffic congestion caused by recent commercial development in the vicinity of U.S. 11 north of Lexington and Econo Lane – Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants and a Tru by Hilton Hotel – are prompting calls for roadway upgrades. Traffic lane improvements are being sought for the increasingly busy intersection that leads to these new businesses.

The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors last week approved a resolution in support of a Virginia Department of Transportation Smart Scale application for an intersection improvements The proposed project entails establishing a new northbound right-turn lane onto Econo Lane, an extension of the southbound left turn lane onto Econo Lane, a new right- turn lane out of Econo Lane onto U.S. 11, and an extension of the leftturn lane from U.S. 11 onto Greenhouse Road.

“We’re experiencing growing pains with the Econo Lane development,” Chris Slaydon, the county’s director of community development, told the supervisors in requesting support for the resolution.

The supervisors also adopted a resolution in support of an application for another Smart Scale project that would add sidewalks along U.S. 11 north between the College Square Shopping Center and Greenhouse Road. A similar application for these pedestrian improvements was unsuccessful two years ago.

Applications for this year’s round of funding for VDOT’s Smart Scale projects are on a two-year cycle and due Aug. 1.