U.S. 460 improvements in city on table

The state is reopening discussion on possible upgrades to U.S. 460 in Lynchburg.

The targeted stretch of road, around 1.5 miles in length, runs between U.S. 501 (Campbell Avenue) and the Madison Heights bypass (Monacan Parkway), along the western border of Liberty University.

Traffic there has increased significantly since the completion of the Madison Heights bypass in 2005, according to both state and local officials. Talk of renovations began years ago, but the debated improvements never materialized.

The state, which owns and maintains the road, attributed the delay to financial constraints.

Current budgets provide a small pot of money to revisit the road’s needs. A growing number of accidents have been seen as more and more cars use the corridor to connect to the bypass.

Possible improvements include straightening out a hilly portion of the roadway, adding traffic lights, and rerouting some of the driveways that empty directly onto the road.

The state also wants to replace two railroad bridges deemed to be “substandard.” That project will not necessarily be dependent on the overall corridor improvements, according to Virginia Department of Transportation officials.

On Tuesday, VDOT kicked off a new public comment period centered on the road upgrades. A daylong community information meeting was organized, in addition to a series of one-on-one sessions with various stakeholder groups, including the city government.

The project does not currently have any money available to begin real roadwork.

feedback

- Public feedback on road conditions and possible solutions will be accepted until Sept. 8. Comments can be submitted to VDOT engineer Brian J. Casto at P.O. Box 11649, Lynchburg, VA 24506.