Lynchburg officials need public's input on Graves Mill Road

Virginia Region 2000 officials want to conduct a corridor study

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Moore’s Country Store has been on Creekside Lane in Lynchburg for almost two years. 

Store manager, Mark Emerson says they have three exits for customers to get out onto Graves Mill Road. 

“Other than the construction we had a few months ago. But when it got up here close, near the bottom there, it affected us a little bit with people getting in and out of the shop here. But we haven't experienced a lot of wrecks or anything,” Emerson said.

Though Emerson said Moore’s Country Store hasn't seen any accidents lately, officials with Virginia’s Region 2000 say, the Creekside Lane -Graves Mill Road intersection has had the most accidents compared to the city and state average. 

"As you can see, a majority of the crashes are rear-end crashes,” said Scott Smith, transportation planning director for Virginia's Region 2000 Local Government Council, pointing to a Google image on their corridor study.
 
Graves Mill Road is a major connector between Lynchburg and Forest and many businesses have been developed over the years. And new developments are coming to the area soon. 

“Because of the growth happening all along this corridor. We want to try to work out in the future and get ahead of that growth so that we can make plans to keep this corridor functioning well,” Smith said. 

Officials say the study will cost about $60,000 paid for by the Local Government Council and a bit by Lynchburg. They will look from Nationwide Drive in Lynchburg to Gristmill Drive in Bedford County.

"We're going to be looking at the width of the lanes, can we add additional lanes without increasing the asphalt. We're going to be looking at synchronizing the traffic signals to make sure they're all working together properly. We're looking at pedestrian and transit accommodations to make sure other folks not using cars can get through here well,” Smith said.

On Tuesday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lynchburg Humane Society, 1211 Old Graves Mill Road, officials will host an open-house format for members of the public to drop in and discuss concerns about Graves Mill Road. 

To read more about the study, click here.