Work is ongoing in a project that will create a roundabout in Barboursville.
Anyone who has recently traveled along U.S. 33, Spotswood Trail, near the intersection of Rt. 20, Constitution Highway, has encountered the traffic cones and seen the construction. The Virginia Department of Transportation is reconstructing the intersection, changing the current “T” intersection which utilizes a stop sign for traffic turning from Rt. 20 onto U.S. 33 into a single-lane roundabout. The roundabout will connect the gas station entrance directly to the intersection. The project also includes adding a sidewalk along the west side of Rt. 20 and the north side of U.S. 33 with a crosswalk on the western leg crossing U.S. 33.
The area has long been the site of crashes. According to traffic data, from 2012 to 2016 there were 12 crashes in the intersection area with six resulting in nine people injured and one resulting in a fatality. Some of the crashes, including the fatality, were associated with the intersection with Rt. 738, Old Barboursville Road, immediately east of the primary intersection. As part of the project, a directional median crossover will be installed at that intersection providing a left turn lane from eastbound U.S. 33 onto Rt. 738. The crossover will prohibit left turns from Rt. 738 onto U.S. 33 and prohibit left turns from westbound U.S. 33 onto Rt. 738. Roundabouts are believed to be safer, and according to VDOT, cause an 80% overall reduction in crashes.
The $5.5 million project is being funded through the third round of Smart Scale. Smart Scale evaluates potential transportation projects based on key factors including improvements to safety, congestion reductions, increasing accessibility, contributions to economic development, efficient land use and environmental impacts.
The project is expected to be completed by December. It is one of two proposed roundabout projects in the area. A single-lane roundabout is also planned for the intersection of Rt. 231, West Gordon Avenue and Rt. 1006, North High Street, in Gordonsville. The roundabout will replace the existing intersection, add pedestrian crossings at all four quadrants and install sidewalks along Rt. 231 between Wright and High streets. The $12 million Smart Scale project is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2027 with completion that fall.
