VDOT eyes roundabout for Arthur Ashe Boulevard
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What the roundabout on Arthur Ashe could look like. Image: Courtesy of VDOT
Richmonders have until Friday to weigh in on VDOT's proposed plan to make safety and traffic improvements to two busy sections of Richmond roadways.
Why it matters: Part of the plan calls for putting a roundabout — America's favorite type of intersection — on Arthur Ashe Boulevard near the Interstate.
The big picture: VDOT is in the very early planning stages of possible improvements for the Bryan Park Interchange and on Arthur Ashe Boulevard at the I-95 and I-64 ramps.
- The Bryan Park Interchange is where I-95, I-64 and I-195 converge, making it one of the most high-trafficked sections of highway around Richmond.
- At peak congestion, traffic around it, especially at the I-95 Exit 80 ramp, slows to under 20 mph, according to VDOT.
- Meanwhile, the Arthur Ashe Boulevard intersection near the interstate ramps is particularly accident-prone, averaging around 18 crashes a year, per VDOT.
Zoom in: For the Bryan Park Interchange, VDOT's proposed solutions to speed up traffic include adding an extra lane to all of the existing ramps that feed the highways.
- Plus, it's considering closing the Exit 80 / Hermitage Road/Lakeside Avenue off ramp.
- To make Arthur Ashe safer, VDOT proposes removing the traffic light at the intersection off the exit and replacing it with a roundabout. Doing so could result in a roughly 44% drop in accidents, VDOT notes.
Worth noting: Properties adjacent to some of these projects could be impacted, VDOT says.