Road improvements needed for safe travel

David Star
Stafford

Published: May 21, 2008

I have been a homeowner and active voter since 2004. I live at 106 Hope Road. While my recent activities have been confined to e-mails to my county supervisor and letters to the Stafford County Sun with the single focus on improvements to Hope Road, mainly from U.S. 1 east to Old Concord Road, I would like to address some greater county-wide problems and offer some possible modifications to the six-year service plan.

Let me quote Sheriff Jett as it appeared in the Stafford County Sun. “Courthouse Road west of Interstate 95, particularly at the Winding Creek Road intersection is bad,” said Jett.  My family is a member of a large church just off Winding Creek Road and we participate in daily activities hosted by the church.

My wife is a survivor of a very bad automobile accident resulting in her being in a COMA for over two months, It took her 10 years to be comfortable enough to drive a car and now she is driving around our beautiful daughter (who is a miracle in her own rite). Naturally, I am frightened to think about her having to drive home from church after her morning ladies group meeting and try to turn left from Rt. 628, Winding Creek Road onto Rt. 630, Courthouse Road.

The visibility is limited at best and nonexistent when you throw in weather events. This is the only intersection in Stafford that I prefer to traverse during the hours of darkness due to the enhanced visibility of the oncoming headlights.

The current priority for this project, as recommended by the Planning Commission is behind the on going Rt. 610 projects. The anticipated completion date for this project is many years away, I would strongly recommend to the Board and VDOT to install some form of traffic control device to enable a “SAFE” left hand turn from Rt 628 on to Rt. 630. This device may be a traffic signal or a simple three way STOP sign.

My second point is the withdrawal of proposed funding for the “New Andrew Chapel Road” project. While I do not currently take the VRE on my commute into Washington, D.C., I would if the drive to the VRE was not so hard. In order to “catch” the first train out, you have to be on the roads during the hours of twilight.

The current route to the Brook VRE station is just plain out dangerous. The Stafford County Sun printed the following:

Brooke Road is problematic because of “the number of cars” that travels the road, according to Jett.

If VDOT, The Board or Planning Commission is worried about the limited number of available parking spaces at the VRE, please do not forget about the large number of residents in the area. A few years ago I voted down the last Road referendum and today I am trying to deal with the daemons that haunt my sleep.

While the last plan was not perfect and this one is no different. The life that may be saved will be worth it. With the help of Mr. Milde, I got new traffic flow signage in front of my house after a fatal accident on Feb 15, 2008. Less than two weeks later there was a second head-on collision in the same spot, but this time one of the drivers slowed down and the result was no injuries to all involved.

I urge The Board of Supervisors to reinstate the New Andrew Chapel Road project into the SSYP and let the voting public decide.