Botetourt County will undertake a traffic study Rt 220 corridor from 460 to International Parkway

Roanoke Rd Friday morning August 18 when traffic backed up for several hours from Kingston Dr up past Lord Botetourt in Daleville

Botetourt County will undertake an analysis of traffic concerns, the Board of Supervisors agreed at its August 22, 2023 meeting. The Board met at the Botetourt County Administration Building at Greenfield in Amsterdam.

The traffic analysis would assess transportation options along the US Route 220 corridor between US Route 460 and International Parkway. The Supervisors approved a contract with AECOM in the amount of $96,000 for the study. The funding for the study would come from the sale of timber at the county landfill in the Catawba area, according to Assistant County Administrator Jon Lanford.

Previously, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) completed study through VDOT’s Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) that resulted in several recommendations in the corridor between Route 11 and Commons Parkway.

Prior to that, VDOT completed a study that resulted in a “superstreet” concept between Commons Parkway and Catawba Road (Route 779.) That concept was used to make application for both Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds and Smart Scale funds. Funding from STBG was achievable, but not Smart Scale, so the project has not moved forward.

This new study is intended to further develop and consider transportation options along US 220 and will focus only on the area from Exit 150 to Catawba Road (Route 779.)

The County is currently undergoing growing pains and the development has moved beyond what the VDOT studies considered. AECOM would review potential land use and growth opportunities, perform trip generation analysis to project new vehicle trips that might be expected from potential development, evaluate proposed transportation solutions along the corridor to include all modes of transportation, and evaluate funding opportunities.

Additionally, the company would examine phases of work to implement the desired improvements. The plan would also take pedestrian and bicycle use into consideration, particularly in the area around Lord Botetourt High School. The plan also would include coordination with the National Park Service relative to the Appalachian Trail.

Amsterdam District Supervisor Steve Clinton questioned the study. “I’m not real sure what this document will do,” he said, noting that VDOT has to agree with any improvements or changes. “I applaud the need and the goal, but I’m not sure what’s going to happen to it once its done.”

He noted that other studies are out there, including an Exit 150 study, and he wondered if this study would help the county move forward with traffic control issues. “Would we be able to say we’re not going to approve this zoning request until we see this study implement? If we can’t say that, what good is the study?”

Lanford said the study would look at the specific area in its entirety with the land use and growth component so that future Smart Scale applications may be successful. Lanford said he thought there was a lot of opportunity to reroute existing traffic at various intersections and move the traffic away from US 220 so there would be less conflicts in travel. “I don’t think you could use this document to make a determination for future land use,” Lanford said.

“If we want to see some transportation improvements in that corridor, we may have make an investment in the area as to what those could look like,” Lanford said. “If we want to see those improvements, we may have to put some capital into those projects.”

Buchanan Supervisor Amy White asked if the document would be binding. Lanford said the document would reflect the county’s needs and as such could be changed as necessary to reflect growth and development in the area. He said it could be used as a negotiating tool with developers.

White also expressed concern about safety along that traffic corridor. “We should have some attention to safe solutions for transportation,” she said.

Clinton urged that the documentation be used daily once collection. “We really need to push it if we’re going to do this, and keep it front and center, he said.

The Supervisors unanimously approved the funding for the study.                                                                                         

  — Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt, Photo –Cathy Benson