ROANOKE, VA. – Williamson Road is looking a lot different lately – and people who live, drive, and run businesses there are starting to feel the impact.
Since last fall, Roanoke has been testing a major safety improvement project along Williamson Road, from Pocahontas Avenue to Angell Avenue. Crews added a center turn lane and reduced the number of travel lanes, with the goal of slowing drivers down, cutting down on crashes, and making the corridor safer for everyone.
Many residents say the changes are noticeable.
“I think what they’re doing is important, and you can see a difference. I just think lots more needs to be done because it is such a critical area,” said resident Jenny Nelson.
Business owners agree that safety was a problem before the project.
“We saw a couple accidents — more than a couple accidents — last year,” said Hussain Ghanizada, who owns A1 Afghan Restaurant and Grocery on Williamson Road. “But since they put the new patterns, new signs on the roads, it has been reduced.”
At Northwest Ace Hardware, staff watched wrecks happen right in front of their building.
“People were having a lot of wrecks in front of us, in front of our building, and that’s really decreased since the road has changed,” said Esther Martin with Northwest Ace Hardware.
The hardware store wasn’t on board at first, but over time, they’ve changed their minds as they’ve seen fewer crashes and less speeding. While they aren’t sure yet whether the changes brought in more customers, A1 Afghan Restaurant and Grocery has already noticed a difference in foot traffic.
“People are following the traffic, and in the middle of the road, sometimes they stop, and they look at our restaurant,” said Ghanizada.
City leaders say the project was driven by troubling crash data. Between 2019 and 2023, six pedestrians were killed along this stretch road — roughly one-third of all pedestrian deaths. The corridor is also where about one in five of the city’s car crashes happen.
The temporary redesign is part of the larger “Envision Williamson Road” project, a long‑term effort to revitalize the area and make it safer and more welcoming.
Valerie Brown, executive director of the Greater Williamson Road Business Association and a member of the project’s steering committee, says early signs are encouraging.
“We want to make Williamson Road back to what it was back in the day when everybody says, ‘I remember when,’” said Brown, adding that crashes are down even though detailed numbers aren’t available yet.
The city expects the temporary changes to remain in place through about April, with paving work scheduled for this summer. Before deciding whether to make any of these roadway changes permanent, Roanoke is asking for public feedback.
Drivers, residents, and business owners have until February 28 to fill out a city survey and share what they think is working — and what still needs to be improved — along Williamson Road.
10 News has reached out to Roanoke City and Ross Campbell, director of Public Works, sent a statement that reads:“Traffic engineers are collecting Williamson Road demonstration project data. Residents are encouraged to submit feedback at www.roanokeva.gov/WilliamsonRoadSurvey. The survey is open through March 1st, and traffic data will be collected through mid-March. Community feedback and information gathered during the demonstration, such as traffic volume, vehicle speeds, and crash data, will help us improve safety and make informed decisions for Williamson Road.”