
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 27, 1990                   TAG: 9006270337
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BEDFORD                                LENGTH: Short

ANCIENT QUARRY, MONEY DELAY LAKE ROAD STRAIGHTENING

Improvements to Virginia 608 near Smith Mountain Lake have been delayed by financial troubles and a less typical problem: discovery of what may be an ancient quarry.

A Virginia Department of Transportation official Tuesday told the County Board of Supervisors that price estimates for the curve-straightening project had increased from $770,000 to $1.2 million.

Though Bedford resident engineer Jeff Kessler planned to put the project out to bid this fall, it has been rescheduled for next summer.

An added problem arose this spring when VDOT officials did a "walk-through" of the road project and discovered what are believed to be two ancient quarry sites where spearheads were produced, Kessler said.

Officials believe the quarries were used in 4,000 or 4,500 B.C. Consulting archaeologists from the College of William and Mary will more thoroughly study the area. Kessler said he was hesitant to give many details of the discoveries for fear that they would be disturbed before they can be studied.

But Kessler told the supervisors and a group of angry Smith Mountain Lake residents that the cash - not the archaeological find - was the "biggest obstacle" to fixing up their road.

by CNB