CULPEPER — The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to install lighting on Interstate 64 at exit 99 at the summit of Afton Mountain in Augusta County, VDOT said.
VDOT said the effort will improve safety and visibility for motorists, and said 35 pole-mounted lighting fixtures will be installed along I-64 and U.S. 250.
"The lighting will improve visibility where the interchange ramps connect with U.S. 250 (Three Notched Mountain Highway). This will assist motorists to navigate the interchange at night and during low-visibility conditions," a press release said.
The LED light fixtures will be mounted on 25-foot-tall light poles within the highway right-of-way. The lights, VDOT said, will have housings that direct the lighting downward toward the roadway and minimize unwanted light pollution.
A visual impact study, conducted in coordination with the National Park Service, concluded the planned lighting will have minimal impacts on most of the adjacent natural areas, including Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, according to VDOT.
The lighting project is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2025 and is estimated to be completed that same year in the fall.
The other improvement, already underway, will see the installation of a congestion warning system on I-64, VDOT said.
Public hearing will receive resident opinions on the project
A public hearing will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday July 16 at Kate Collins Middle School on Ivy Street in Waynesboro. Those interested in learning more about the project can view project plans, speak with members of the project team and provide comments. All comments received at the public hearing and during the 10-day comment period after the hearing will be reviewed by the project team, and included in the public hearing record, VDOT said. In case of inclement weather, the hearing will be rescheduled for July 18.
More information is available on the project web page: www.vdot.virginia.gov/projects/culpeper-district/interstate-64-afton-mountain-safety-improvements/. Project information, including the National Environmental Policy Act document in the form of a Programmatic Categorical Exclusion, is available on the project web site, at the public hearing, or at VDOT’s Culpeper District Office located at 1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, Va., 22701. Or call (540) 829-7500 or 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623). Tentative construction schedules can be reviewed at the above address and will be available at the public hearing.
Comments can be made at the hearing or submitted by July 26 to Caroline Awua-Mensah, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, Va., 22701. Comments can also be sent to Caroline.Awua-Mensah@vdot.virginia.gov. Reference “I-64 Interchange Lighting Comment” in the subject line, VDOT said.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
Most Popular
Comments / 0