Washington County’s Board of Supervisors are still saying no to a roundabout connecting U.S Highway 11 to U.S. Highway 58 in Abingdon, Virginia.
Suggestions for a roundabout at the busy junction near I-81’s Exit 19 have been suggested for years from Virginia Department of Transportation officials, but the plan has been soundly rejected more than once by the board. And yet another rejection came Tuesday night when the board adopted a resolution supporting upcoming road projects – minus the roundabout.
Supervisors expressed concern that a roundabout would create havoc for emergency vehicles and potentially back up traffic on the interstate highway if built at the crossroads of these two legendary highways.
County Administrator Jason Berry favors realigning U.S. Highway 11.
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“But we all know VDOT loves roundabouts,” Berry said. “They say it’s the only option.”
Any fix to this intersection could take six to eight years to construct through VDOT’s Smart Scale funding plan.
Supervisor Dwayne Ball said a roundabout “will stop up anything” in traffic.
“Our constituents don’t want it,” Ball said.
Ball made a motion, seconded by Supervisor Randy Pennington, to pass the resolution without support of the roundabout.
Vice Chairman Mike Rush said the famous Church Circle roundabout in Kingsport, Tennessee, works – until church services are held on Sundays. Then, he said, “It’s best to avoid the roundabout.”
In turn, Rush estimated the proposed roundabout in Abingdon would not be able to handle traffic “during peak times.”
Rush added, “We don’t’ understand it. We don’t’ understand how it could work.”
Supervisor Phillip McCall figured a roundabout would be cheaper than buying more land and installing a bridge over a creek at the junction.
Still, McCall said he was concerned that if the board voted against the roundabout then there may not be any help from VDOT to improve the busy intersection.
“We need to have our marbles in the game,” he said.