Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 27, 1993 TAG: 9310270210
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Fred Altizer, Salem district engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation, held out little hope Tuesday for immediate changes in the highway between Elm Avenue and Wonju Street.
The road will have to compete for funds with needed projects such as Virginia 419 and other parts of U.S. 220 in the 12-county district, Altizer said.
"There are many projects throughout the district. It would have to be evaluated with all of the others," Altizer said.
The highway is not part of the state's urban system, so Roanoke can't divert part of its highway funds to the project.
Even if the city could, it has budgeted all of its money on other projects for the next six years.
The city's thoroughfare plan calls for the widening of the Webber Highway, but there is no projected timetable.
The highway, which is part of U.S. 220, is in the state's arterial system of roads in both rural and urban areas. The state designed and maintains the road.
Because of the fatal accidents, the city's Transportation Commission wants state highway officials to determine what, if anything, can be done to improve safety.
Altizer said he anticipates the state will make a study to determine what can be done, the estimated cost and how it would rank with other projects.
"We will have to take a hard look at costs to see what can be done," he said.
Putting up guardrails along the median strip might not keep cars from crossing the median, he said. And there could be drainage problems and other complications if a barrier is erected between the northbound and southbound lanes, he said.
Altizer said design standards for arterial highways have changed since the Webber Highway was opened in the mid-1970s. The highway needs an additional lane in each direction, he said.
Police say speed and alcohol have been factors in most of the fatal wrecks.
Altizer said in many areas along Intersate 581 there are no guardrails or barriers between the northbound and southbound lanes. But there have been few accidents with cars crossing the median, he said.
Altizer said he's not sure that guardrails would stop a speeding car with an intoxicated driver.
Interstate highways are designed to accommodate higher speeds. Some motorists traveling south on I-581 don't slow down when they come to the Webber Highway, which has lanes and shoulders that are more narrow with sharper curves.
The latest fatal accident occured Oct. 16 when a Roanoke woman driving in the northbound lane was killed when a car in the southbound lane crossed the median.
The driver was intoxicated, according to medical records obtained by police.
Michael L. Jacobs, 23, of Roanoke County was still in very serious condition Tuesday at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Authorities are pursuing charges against him of drunken driving and involuntary manslaughter.
A similar wreck killed three people in May when a car crossed the median and plowed head on into an oncoming vehicle.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB