Lane Ranger: Accident waiting to happen

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Dear Lane Ranger,

The corner of Linton Hall Road and Limestone Drive in Gainesville is an accident waiting to happen.

With Gainesville Middle School and a commuter parking lot on Limestone Drive, plus the normal amount of traffic on this road, things can get pretty congested when trying to turn onto Linton Hall Road.

Turning right onto Linton Hall from Limestone is bad enough, but turning left with all of the oncoming vehicles from both directions is almost impossible.

A three to five minute wait is the norm, and it doesn't even matter what time of day it is.

Is the county waiting for a busload of children to get hit before they do something?

Would you please check into this intersection for all of us who have been stuck at this corner?

Susan Marti

Bristow

Susan,

We took you question to Mike Salmon at the Virginia Department of Transportation, and he said the signal at the intersection was installed as part of a road widening project that is not yet finished.

Salmon said the contractor was ordered last week to check the proper operation of the signal, but Salmon did not have the findings of the check at the time of this report.

The light at Limestone Drive and Linton Hall Road is set to cycle twice for every one cycle at the Va. 28 and Linton Hall Road intersection, he said.

Last week VDOT removed a timing restriction on the light at the Limestone intersection that prevented the contractor from adjusting the timing cycle during heavy traffic on weekends.

With the restriction gone and with the contractor's ability to adjust the light, heavy traffic in the intersection is expected to ease on weekends, said Salmon.

The weekday timing cycle will not be changed.

The agency is in the process of reviewing all of the signal light timings in the western portions Prince William County.