VDOT updates new school road project and Exit 150 pollinator field at Board of Supervisors meeting

Ray Varney District Engineer for VDOT told the Botetourt Board of Supervisors that the road construction into the new Colonial Elementary School had fallen through the cracks at the recent August 25th meeting.

We asked VDOT for clarification and Communications Director Jen K. Ward provided this statement.”Regarding the road to Colonial Elementary, the priority is to open the road before school. They did have to wait for utility work to be performed in order to start working out there. That is underway so they will be out there this week. As for the paving itself, the contractors have asked us to wait as long as we can to pave the road into the school due to the construction activities and large trucks. However, we can only wait so long due to the asphalt plants closing. If it gets too close to that asphalt cut off, we will need to do it sooner in order for the road to be paved prior to the school’s opening so we are working with them closely as the date gets closer.”

Asphalt plants typically close from November until Late February. The new Colonial Elementary is supposed to open for the beginning of the second semester Jan. 2021.

The pollinator field (where the Truckstop sat,) the roundabout and the road extension up to Rt 604 are source of consternation to many Botetourt residents. As a portal into Botetourt County at Exit 150, The Botetourt Bee hears from citizens about the presentation of the portal into Botetourt County. Particularly at the board meeting, Dr. Mac Scothorn took issue with the overgrowth in all three areas. There has been disagreement for awhile as to whom the responsibility of the upkeep belongs to VDOT or the County. That dispute continues.

Here is the VDOT response to the pollinator field and upkeep of the roundabout and road extension to Rt. 604:

Regarding the Exit 150 pollination habitat, this gets mowed once later in the year before November 1. For now, it is doing what it should as a pollination area for various threatened pollinator species like bees and butterflies which greatly impacts our US economy. While some may view it as overgrowth, it does look appropriate for the function that it serves and is so important to our ecosystem. It also provides other benefits in a natural way such as stabilizing slopes and reducing erosion which was also needed within this green area at exit 150. Unfortunately, people can’t really see inside the field and all the wonderful activity inside it. We do have additional plans to add more to the area but additional funding is needed. When it comes to the roundabout area, we have been in talks with the county about an enhanced maintenance area within it but additional funding is needed to plant and then maintain it as well. We will cut the pollination habitat later in the year which will also reseed the area but cutting it would harm the habitat any earlier than that. 

For information on why we need these habitats and what VDOT is doing to help with this effort, our website has some great information and of course we also created an educational video on this effort that is on YouTube. Links to both below. I also attached some pictures for you from this summer.

Pollination Habitat Program: 
https://www.virginiadot.org/programs/pollinator_habitat_program.asp

Video on Exit 150 Habitat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXjgzemxXYI&feature=emb_logo

As for grass growth on RT 220 and RT 604, we mow secondary roads twice a year and the primaries three a year.  Currently, the primaries have been mowed twice and the secondaries once.  Our final mowing for secondaries and primaries will be late September, October or early November.  We will do additional mowing for any area that is a safety concern such as restricting sight distance along the roadway. If citizens do see an area that presents a safety concern, they can let us know by calling our 1-800-FOR-ROAD 24-hour customer service center.”

–Cathy Benson, photos courtesy of VDOT