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INVESTIGATION: Residents demand action on roads as half of VDOT Stafford work orders go unfilled

STAFFORD — The rural roads of Stafford are failing to support the county’s continued urban development, and residents are speaking out.

Many in recent months have pressed elected members of the Stafford Board of Supervisors, demanding for action on a variety of transportation issues. All have expressed common frustrations about the time it takes the Virginia Department of Transportation to safety concerns.

Over a period of 45 days from mid-May to July, Board of Supervisors members received about 40 citizen complaints, according to in documents obtained by Potomac Local in a Freedom of Information Act order. Many focused on overgrown vegetation, potholes, drainage issues, speeding, signage needed, and other issues.

“I am reaching out to express my concerns on these roads in hope that changes can occur to avoid future accidents,” said Parminder Singh in an email to Garrisonville District Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer and Rock Hill District Supervisor Wendy Maurer. “The ‘s’ curve on Stefaniga Road is dangerous and is often driven on too fast causing serious accidents. I myself had an accident when another driver lost control on the bend and hit me straight on.”

Potholes vs. overgrowth

Potholes take up the greatest percentage of VDOT work orders — 42% — yet they aren’t the main issue of residents’ concern.

Overgrown vegetation and trees, and the blind spots that result from overgrowth were the most frequently reported complaint to the BOS, totaling 35% of the complaints. This differs from data collected by VDOT officials that found that vegetation issues make up 17% of all work orders placed in the first half of this year.

“I’m writing to you because my wife and I have been trying to get VDOT to address a dangerous blind spot due to overgrown vegetation for the last ten months,” said Frank Ponce to VDOT spokeswoman Kelly Hannon and supervisor Wendy Maurer. “Turning onto Shelton Shop Rd. from Stafford Stone Dr. is a game of chance. You never know if a car is coming until it is too late.”

Overgrown vegetation was the culprit in a crash that took the life of high school student Helen Wang on May 16. Wang, 17, was attempting to turn onto Kellogg Mill Road from a boat ramp at Abel Lake. The Colonial Forge High School student was killed on her 17th birthday.

Afterward, VDOT worked quickly, at the Board of Supervisors’ request, to clear the overgrown brush that blocked Wang’s view at the intersection where she was struck.
With the brush gone and sight distance improved, the boat ramp that had been closed following Wang’s death was reopened to traffic on May 30.

Wang’s death was a catalyst for the transportation movement in Stafford. Under community pressure, and the efforts of a student-led organization called Changing Stafford’s Roads, the Board voted to put a $50 million transportation bond referendum on the ballot in November.

If passed by voters, and with a tax increase passed by the Board of Supervisors in April, the Board of Supervisors would be clear to borrow the money to fund road improvements on these key roads:

  • Shelton Shop Road
  • Garrisonville Road
  • Layhill and Morton Road
  • Leeland Road
  • Onville Road
  • Mountain View Road
  • Route 1/Enon intersection

Historically, the county has waited for VDOT to improve the majority of roads in the county. Now, ahead of the November bond referendum, the county is spending about $2 million to straighten a sharp curve on the winding, two-lane Poplar Road, near the intersection of Mountain View Road.

Another student, Kyle Morgan, 18, of Mountain View High School, was killed in a crash near that sharp curve in March 2018. That project should wrap up this fall.

It’s one of a handful of other road projects the county is working on, such as reconstructing and realigning Brooke Road at Eskimo Hill Road, adding new turn lanes at Route 1 at Courthouse Road, reconstructing a portion of Berea Church Road, and adding a new, permanent signal light at Route 1 and the southern terminus of Telegraph Road.

With the bond as a possible long-term solution to the transportation problems Stafford faces, the question remains as to what to do now.

Taking it into their own hands

Some residents have taken problems into their own hands, not willing to wait for VDOT or county officials to help.

“The lack of VDOT’s cutting of the tall grass has me walking along the road to cut grass with a blade so the families living on Creek Lane have improved visibility to the blind curve as they pull out into traffic,” said Bill Hanrahan in an email to Hartwood District Supervisor Gary Snellings.

The Board of Supervisors met with officials from VDOT on July 2 to discuss the concerns of residents and seek more immediate solutions to common road problems.

Just half of the work orders completed

“We’re already addressing what we need to do in the future, but in this meeting I want to know what we can do right now,” Dudenhefer said.

One possible short-term fix that was discussed is the $250 per mile application of a brush spray to control grasses and overgrowth less than six inches in diameter. VDOT and the Board also discussed financing additional mowings throughout the year.

In regards to slow wait times, VDOT has only 24 operators to cover the 1,600 miles of road in Stafford. Of the 2,500 work orders put in during the first half of the year, only about 50% have been closed.

“I think this area, in Stafford and Spotsylvania, has the least amount of crew members to the number of roads,” Fredericksburg District Engineer Marcie Parker said. “When you get to the more rural counties, there are not as many roads, and the crews are about the same size.”

As for those 40 citizen complaints made to the Board, each was forwarded to VDOT to review and to address.

If a resident notices a road problem, VDOT recommends that they report that issue to their Customer Service Center either online at my.vdot.virginia.gov or at 1-800-367-7623.

From there VDOT will send the work order to the closest Area Headquarters (there are two in Stafford) who will schedule any necessary work or repair. If the problem is considered to be an emergency, such as a blocked road or malfunctioning traffic signal, the work order will be sent to the state’s Traffic Operations Center.

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