Lane Ranger: Stratford, Minneville crossing has no light

Dear Lane Ranger:

I live off Stratford Drive on Minneville Road, and though the road is being widened to four lanes, the intersection is not receiving a traffic light. I can attest that the road certainly needs the extra lanes as the traffic is very heavy during rush hour. Unfortunately this heavy traffic has made it nearly impossible to turn left from Stratford Drive onto Minneville Road. Often one has to wait until the cross traffic is forced to stop due to backups.

The VFW post directly across the street from my neighborhood also poses another issue, as on weekends there are shows and gatherings, and it also serves as a polling place. With many senior citizens using the VFW, I have found many people simply too hesitant to try and cross the 2 lanes of traffic traveling at 45 mph. What further confounds me is that General Washington Drive (just a 1/4 mile up the road) is receiving a stop light and is only a 3-way intersection while Stratford Drive is a 4-way intersection.

I was told by the Prince William County planning office that there was no light planned for the Stratford / Minneville intersection, but never given a reason why.

Will I have to wait until there are several serious or fatal accidents as senior citizens and families try to jump the four lanes of traffic before a light is installed? That was the case with Central Park Drive just a mile north of us. Any insight would be appreciated.

Tim Kilpatrick

Woodbridge

Tim,

We took your question to the Prince William County Department of Transportation and they told us that there was never a plan to put a light there in the first place.

Javier M. Ibe, works for the office and said there just wasn't enough traffic at the time when the road improvements were being designed, and planners agreed that the intersection did not require a signal.

But he doesn't deny that signal may be needed later on.

He said someone will need to count the amount of traffic at the intersection, but the ongoing construction of Minnieville Road makes that a difficult task. He also said with school out for the summer, any traffic information collected right now would not reflect the real number of cars that used the road when school is in session.

Nearby Spriggs Road has two high schools and one middle school on it, and the area can often get congested with school buses and students driving to and from school.

Once school is back in session, the agency may begin a new study to look into whether a light is warranted there, and then present their findings to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear the school bells ring.

Send your questions about your commute to the Lane Ranger via e-mail: . Mail your questions to News & Messenger, c/o Lane Ranger 14010 Smoketown Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192. Or call the Lane Ranger hotline and ask your question there: 703-878-8065.