ROANOKE, VA – Big Changes could soon be coming to one of Roanoke’s busiest roadways.
Currently, Williamson Road has two lanes going in each direction.
Well, starting this fall, a pilot program is set to change that — down to one lane each way, with a center lane just for turning. The hope is it’ll slow traffic down and make things safer. But some local business owners are worried it could make things worse.
“I just think it’s a safety issue for the whole Williamson Road area,” Robert Cook, owner of Robert’s Auto & Truck Service on Williamson Road said.
For nearly 15 years, Robert Cook has been one of the business voices pushing back against a proposal many have dubbed a ‘road diet.’
“You’re basically taking a four-lane highway and turning it into a two-lane highway. You’re narrowing it down,” Cook said.
Williamson Road is known for a high number of accidents, many of which Cook has seen firsthand.
According to the DMV, so far this year, Williamson Road has already seen nine crashes, with two people injured. Last year, crashes totaled 47, leaving 30 people hurt.
“Dozens of crashes, right here in front of this building,” Cook said.
Valerie Brown, executive director of the Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association, points to those crashes as the reason behind the pilot project.
“Everybody agrees that something needs to be done,” Brown said.
Brown says this plan is about keeping everyone safer—especially pedestrians and people with mobility challenges who use this road every day.
“Our goal and our role is to slow down traffic. We want to make the roads safer for everyone. Safer for vehicles, walking, we have a lot of wheelchairs out this way,” Brown said.
But change doesn’t often come without pushback — something Brown has faced.
“People are afraid of what they don’t know. They’re saying ‘you’re going to impede traffic, traffic is going to go faster going through, because they don’t want to get stuck in a one lane.’ And I think most of that is fear talking,” Brown said.
Cook says his worries are for first responders.
“If you’ve been here long enough, you’ve seen the firetrucks go up and down Williamson Road, there’s no way they’re going to be able to maneuver on a two-lane road,” Cook said.
The project kicks off as a six-month trial run — restriping the road. But Cook isn’t convinced it’s temporary, and worries it’ll end up like a similar project on Gus Nicks Boulevard — one that drew mixed reviews.
“That’s more of a permanent thing. I think it’s going to be disastrous. Much like the Gus Nicks Blvd. temporary, but these will be painted. It’s going to be a lot of accident,” Cook said.
The trial is set to start this fall and run for six months. After that, Brown says they’ll gather feedback and look at their next steps.
