Under Construction

Project Updates

A contract for traffic and safety improvements on Wonju Street was awarded to W-L Construction and Paving from Chilhowie in fall 2007.  The $2.2-million project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by November 2008.

Features

The current construction project involves coordinating the signals on Colonial Avenue at Wonju Street to allow for better traffic flow through both intersections.  In addition, construction also will include:

• Constructing a left turn lane from Brandon Avenue onto 23^rd Street
• Installing a new signal at the intersection of Brandon Avenue and 23^rd Street
• Replacing and coordinating the three existing signals along Colonial Avenue between Wonju Street and Brandon Avenue
• Reconfiguring the existing lanes along Colonial Avenue to include two southbound through lanes and a southbound turn lane between the southbound Route 220 exit ramp and the southbound Route 220 entry ramp
• Making northbound Colonial Avenue one lane between the southbound Route 220 entry ramp and the southbound Route 220 exit ramp
• Creating an additional left turn lane from Colonial Avenue onto Brandon Avenue
• Constructing a designated right turn lane from Colonial Avenue onto Wonju Street
• Building an additional left turn lane from the southbound Route 220 exit ramp onto Colonial Avenue
• Restricting access to 23^rd Street from Colonial Avenue to right in and right out only

Background

The Problem:
The increasing traffic volumes and resulting congestion in and around the intersections of Colonial Avenue and Wonju Street and the southbound off-ramp from Route 220 (Roy L. Weber Expressway) to Colonial Avenue demonstrate the need to improve traffic flow in this area.

Traffic and congestion along Colonial Avenue presently causes traffic to back up on the off-ramp from southbound Route 220 during peak travel hours, adversely impacting the capacity of Route 220. This is an undesirable situation because Route 220 is a limited access arterial highway, and motorists do not expect to see stopped traffic. Additionally, Colonial Avenue traffic congestion occurs due to the offset between existing intersections at Wonju and 23rd Streets.

A Solution:
The increasing traffic volumes and congestion prompted the City of Roanoke and VDOT to develop three alternatives to improve the traffic flow in this area.  The three alternatives were presented to the public at citizen information meeting held in October 2005.  Two alternatives involved constructing new sections of roadway while the third alternative called for intersection improvements and signal timing changes to improve traffic flow. For more information about each of the alternatives presented at the meeting, please see the meeting handout. (PDF file)

Since the citizen information meeting, VDOT has moved forward with the third alternative which offered a way to alleviate congestion using primarily the existing right of way and at a much lower cost than constructing new sections of roadway.  In addition, the public overwhelmingly supported the third alternative.  

Construction is currently underway to build the third alternative, traffic and safety improvements on Wonju Street.

 

Contacts

Salem Public Affairs, 540-387-5320