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Bridge near Lake Anna prompts concerns about safety

June 15, 2009 12:36 am

DO YOU DRIVE a minicar, such as a Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Mini Cooper, Smart Fortwo or Toyota Yaris? Leave a lot of distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you--or following behind.

A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that even fender-benders at low speeds could stick you with a big repair bill,

Only the Smart Fortwo wound up with a bill the IIHS found "acceptable." The Chevrolet Aveo performed marginally. Every other minicar performed poorly. For instance, repairs for a front full bumper crash in a Kia Rio cost $3,701 to fix.

IIHS says the steep bills are notable given the reasons people often buy minicars: to save money on gas and other expenses.

Read the full study at iihs.org, where you can watch crash-test videos.

Dear Kelly: State Route 601 (Lawyers Road) north and east of Lake Anna State Park has been closed for almost two years due to a small bridge requiring repairs. The detour around the closed bridge is over a very narrow unmarked road with large trees just a couple of feet from the pavement edge--an accident waiting to happen. Why can't VDOT or the county fix the bridge? The bridge is very small and would require very little money to repair. None of my friends and neighbors will drive the detour at night due to the dangerous situation.

--B.E. Madden, Spotsylvania

A bridge inspection found the bridge was unsafe to use, due to age and deterioration. Unfortunately, the needed repairs are not small--the bridge needs to be completely reconstructed, at a cost estimated at $570,000.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is preparing to advertise the project for construction in July, said Tina Bundy, VDOT spokeswoman for the Fredericksburg District. If the project is advertised then, a bid may be awarded as soon as October. Construction would begin immediately, with work wrapping up in mid- to late December, Bundy said. "We do realize the detour is difficult to maneuver, but it is the only detour that's available in that area," Bundy said.

A number of small bridge repairs in the Fredericksburg area were recently funded with federal stimulus funds, but this project wasn't one of them. This money is coming from the state's road construction fund.

The state has generally made fixing deficient bridges a priority, and this project is moving forward while 800 other road construction projects were cut from the state's six-year transportation budget in February, and only a few were added back with stimulus funds.

Dear Kelly: This has probably been addressed before, but what is with all the cardboard signs with the wire frames and the popsicle signs that seem to go up just about anywhere on the sides of roads and streets? It's not only housing contractors, but anyone with something to advertise seems to think they can put up a sign anywhere.

My church has been working on trying to get permission from VDOT to put up a sign indicating where to turn off to reach our cemetery, but there are so many conditions that we've been unsuccessful. Because of this, I know all those cardboard signs have to be illegal and considered litter. How about the people putting them up getting fined for littering? We need the sign police!

--Helga Gallahan, Colonial Beach

Are you saying you don't enjoy the tempting offers to lose 30 pounds in 3 weeks or work from home without doing any work?

Kidding.

Yes, I think everyone agrees these are a nuisance, and VDOT would like to remind people that you cannot stick signs in the right of way of a state highway. This includes road medians, the area around traffic signals, and the edges of any state-maintained road. Does a VDOT snow plow rumble down your street in the winter? Then it's probably a state-maintained road.

The problem with catching people in the act is that VDOT maintenance workers are on the job Monday through Friday, and most of these signs crop up Friday night for yard sales, going-out-of-business ads, open houses and weekend events.

On Monday morning, VDOT chases down the owners whenever possible, said VDOT's Bundy. It is in frequent contact with real estate offices and home construction companies.

But for some of the more dubious claims, VDOT has a hard time finding the people posting signs.

"Sometimes you'll call those numbers and there's no answer," Bundy said.

Due to state budget cuts, VDOT is mowing the grass on primary and secondary roads twice a year in the Fredericksburg area instead of three times, so the higher grass means state highways may be a less appealing place to post signs.

If you are having trouble getting your church's sign posted, Bundy encourages you to contact VDOT's outdoor sign specialist, Allen Griffith, at 540/899-4024. There are quite a few regulations regarding signs, and he is VDOT's local expert.

Dear Kelly: A new traffic light had been activated on Courthouse Road at the Brittany Commons Boulevard/Breckenridge Drive intersection. I was wondering if the county will reduce the speed limit (traveling west from Levealls Road) from 55 mph to 45 mph. My concern is the steep hill on which this light is located and the increased potential for an accident. Approaching this light from the eastbound lanes at 55 mph appears much safer.

--Steve Donnelly, Louisa

VDOT can study the traffic speed at this intersection to see if a speed-limit change is needed, but it must have a request from Spotsylvania County first. Contact a county supervisor, or the county's transportation office at 540/582-5125.

Kelly Hannon is The Free Lance-Star's transportation reporter. If you have questions, send them to Getting There, c/o The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; or you may fill out the Getting There form on the Web at fredericksburg.com.