BERRYVILLE — Don’t rush there, but a public meeting on possible solutions to traffic problems will be held soon in the town of Millwood in Clarke County.
A preliminary report recently prepared by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be presented during the meeting.
The tentative date for the presentation is January 26. But a firm date, time and venue will be announced as soon as a spot can be reserved. Officials are looking for the Millwood Community Center or a local church.
On Tuesday afternoon, members of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors indicated that they are willing to work with VDOT officials to determine a suitable time and date for them.
Supervisors Chairman David Weiss said the full board will not need to attend the meeting. Millwood District Supervisor Terri Catlett and White Post District Supervisor Bev McKay will likely be there because the Millwood area includes parts of their districts.
Millwood is an unincorporated town in rural southeast Clarke County. It is the location of many historic properties, including Burwell-Morgan Mill, Carter Hall, and Long Branch.
At several of their meetings in late 2022, supervisors heard concerns from Millwood residents and Clarke County Historical Association Executive Director Nathan Stalvey about speeding and short sight distances on narrow routes. , especially Millwood Road (Route 723) and Bishop Meade Road (Route 255).
Ed Carter, resident engineer at the transportation department’s Edinburg regional office, was unable to preview the basic details of the report.
“I just got the thing,” he told supervisors. “I haven’t really had time to absorb it.”
He said, however, that based on a glance, “some things that citizens suggested (in terms of traffic calming measures)… [VDOT] traffic engineering is not going to approve it”.
But some alternatives are provided, Carter said.
Catlett, the vice chair of the board, expressed slight disappointment. She said that she hoped to receive at least some details.
Each month, Carter or another VDOT administrator updates supervisors on the department’s activities in Clarke County.
He mentioned Tuesday that VDOT engineers are beginning to study whether a traffic signal is needed at the intersection of Greenway Avenue (US 340) and Main Street in Boyce. Several serious collisions have occurred there in recent months.
Engineers are also working with Norfolk Southern to obtain necessary permits to repair drainage pipes near the Main Street rail crossing in Boyce, Carter said. Water often stagnates in that area, near City Hall, during heavy rains.
Additionally, engineers are analyzing whether signal changes at the intersection of Va. 7 (Harry Byrd Highway) and Crums Church/Triple J roads west of Berryville could be better timed, he said.
Russell District Supervisor Doug Lawrence recently requested that the matter be looked into.
Carter also mentioned the following:
Cutting and brush removal has been completed along Shepherds Mill and Wright roads. Additional trimming and brush removal is underway throughout several stills.
Potholes along several roads have been filled and work continues. {/lapse}
Trenching work continues along Good Shepherd Road and shoulder repairs along Va. 7.
Catlett said a resident of Blue Ridge Mountain Road near Bear’s Den reported that much debris from a previous ice storm remains in the right-of-way. Carter said he’ll look into that.
According to McKay, trucks carrying dirt are destroying the shoulder of Gun Barrel Road. Carter said Wayne Tapscott, superintendent of VDOT’s Berryville area headquarters, is already looking into it.