Article: New Rt 9 @ Keyes Gap + Construction Photos

[Tony]

There are traffic circles all over the place around Gloucester, MA. They are super efficient and I have yet to see an accident. Where they are, however, has been graded so that the circle and roads leading into it are relatively flat.

Right. I'm not sure why some feel a hill is an impediment to a good circle. Maybe they own stock in traffic light companies?

[ministerswife]

Quote, "Follow the $$$$$$$$$$$." Sombody got some somewhere out of this, didn't they. Again, who needs the road(s), just follow the $$$$$$$$$$$.

[derricksonb]

Right. I'm not sure why some feel a hill is an impediment to a good circle. Maybe they own stock in traffic light companies?

I think you need to reread KatA's statement in which she indicates that the "hills" leading to said traffic circles are relatively flat. In the case of our "hill" that would not be the case. In a perfect world a slight hill would not be much of an impedment to a properly designed traffic circle used by drivers who obeyed traffic laws and exercised common courtesy by yielding the right of way to larger commercial vehicles, but we live in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, where most of the drivers share a common trait with many of the users on this forum....... cranial rectal inversion.

"WELCOME TO VIRGINIA. OPEN ASS INSERT HEAD."

[Kensey]

we live in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, where most of the drivers share a common trait with many of the users on this forum....... cranial rectal inversion.

"WELCOME TO VIRGINIA. OPEN ASS INSERT HEAD."

Hey hey now! If you're in Loudoun, Prince William or Fairfax Counties, you're generally not in Virginia yet. Real Virginia is south and west of a line running roughly from Berryville to Warrenton to Quantico. Everything north and east of that line is Occupied Virginia.

[bollox]

Simple answer to the problem, a bloody roundabout.....Sheeesh.

[Willis]

Thanks to Chip, we've now got a little larger view of the image below. Just click the Pic

[shadowplay]

It's going to be debatable whether it's better to try your luck at the stop sign, or head to Charles Town, and hopefully have a way to merge.

[faithwalk]

ok...so maybe i'm dense on this one but if i am traveling from Va on Rt 9 towards Charles Town and then turning left onto Mission, how will that be changing? If i'm reading this right, they are going to be demolishing part of that section of Rt 9. Help me understand please!!

[Willis]

ok...so maybe i'm dense on this one ... Help me understand please!!

The concept drawing from the WV Department of Transportation that started this thread is the easiest way to visualize that which will be faced. Headed west from VA you'll turn left at the new intersection onto "Old Rt. 9" - to be renamed Rt. 115 - from which you will turn left onto Mission Rd after traveling the familiar way thru Mannings and past Blue Ridge Elementary school

Only a few hundred yards of the existing Rt 9 will be blocked off/demolished

[Tony]

The concept drawing from the WV Department of Transportation that started this thread is the easiest way to visualize that which will be faced.

Ya, but someone needs to expand and label some things for some of us to visualize this. As it stands, it just looks like the same thing we have now. But if that's true, why are so many here upset about it?

I tried taking it into Photoshop and aligning it with a current Google map, but it just doesn't fit - presumably because it is a concept drawing and not particularly accurate.


P.S. Yes it looks like the smileys in the editor are back.

[Kensey]

The concept drawing from the WV Department of Transportation that started this thread is the easiest way to visualize that which will be faced. Headed west from VA you'll turn left at the new intersection onto "Old Rt. 9" - to be renamed Rt. 115 - from which you will turn left onto Mission Rd after traveling the familiar way thru Mannings and past Blue Ridge Elementary school.

It looks like there will be no stop sign/signal for traffic along 9 moving through, and that road will have dedicated left and right turn lanes.

[KatherineA]

ok...so maybe i'm dense on this one but if i am traveling from Va on Rt 9 towards Charles Town and then turning left onto Mission, how will that be changing? If i'm reading this right, they are going to be demolishing part of that section of Rt 9. Help me understand please!!

From what I see - the new 4 lane Rt 9 becomes 2 as it goes up to the "old" Rt 9 and that road heads into VA at the state line. So, traffic from the new route 9 that wants to go straight into VA will have straight shot and I don't see that they have any stop sign.

However, if you are coming back to WV and heading west bound and want to turn left and go on the old Rt 9 to get to Mission Road, you will need to make a left against all the traffic heading east into VA and that traffic will not have a stop sign. Good luck on making that left. If you do live through making that left, the next left onto Mission "should" be easier because there "should" be less traffic on the old 9 heading east bound.

It won't be so hard to make the right onto Chestnut Hill at the VA/WV line, because that will be a right turn. But still you will have to watch for people on old 9 wanting to just cross the new road and go on Chestnut Hill, people on Chestnut wanting to go E to VA or W to the new 9 or cross to the old 9. It will be mess.

Personally, I think the easiest thing to do during "rush hour," rather than to try to make a left on old 9, will be to go right on chestnut hill and then left and up Hostler (Hostetler??) road then right on old 9 to Mission.

[LFE]

Heading into our neck of the mountain from VA, why not make a right onto Chestnutt Hill and then a left at the 3 churches?

[KatherineA]

Heading into our neck of the mountain from VA, why not make a right onto Chestnutt Hill and then a left at the 3 churches?

That is what I was trying to say. i think that will be the "easiest" way to go through that intersection

[Willis]

An Invitation to Contribute to Out Stash of Bridge Construction Photos
Our user 9933 is starting adding a few via yours truly. They were taken a few days ago.
The first is a lineup of steel beams being delivered to the west side of the bridge. 9933 hopes that the defects in the Bloomery Rd tunnel have been fixed

A closer look

The steel obviously has to be delivered from both east and west. Below is a truck just east of Rt 9 and Mission Rd headed for Hostler Rd and the bridge's landing there.

9933, shot a pic of the bridge from the Millville power plant. I think we've got an image of how it will appear when finished somewhere on the forum. I can't find it right now However, please accept the invitation to take some photos form various vantage point to add to the collection of it's phases of construction and thank 9933

[KellyR]

these were taking about six weeks ago. At the river access that is closed.

Attachment 8990

[derricksonb]

That is what I was trying to say. i think that will be the "easiest" way to go through that intersection

As currently designed that will probably be the easiest way through that nex intersection, but it's going to cause some serious backups for those trying to make that left at the three churches (Chestnut and Hostler).

[KatherineA]

Anyway a person decides (or tries) to go on "old" 9 towards Chuck Town is going to be difficult. That extra 20-30 minutes on 340/7 might not seem so bad.

[LFE]

Maybe we need a parking area by the rt 7 bridge over the doah river in VA so we can start and stop our communtes with a kayak river ride :-)

[jolly]

Christmas Day, 2011, took a lovely kayak ride from the boat ramp/river access off Hostler Rd, and road down to the top of Millville Dam, attached are fresh shots of the new bridge......