DATE: Wednesday, April 2, 1997              TAG: 9704020480

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: SUFFOLK                           LENGTH:   60 lines

PLAN TO WIDEN N. MAIN STREET IN SUFFOLK COULD TANGLE TRAFFIC

Traffic engineers wish they had a magic wand.

If they did, they'd wave it, and poof - a project to widen half a mile of North Main Street would be completed.

But without magic, they know the proposed construction could turn the five blocks between the Nansemond River and Wal-Mart into a traffic nightmare for a year, more or less.

The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to expand the road from four lanes to five, adding a center turn lane. Sidewalks on both sides and curbs and gutters will be included in the nearly $2.2 million project.

The stretch of road links downtown and the southern part of the city with major shopping areas, Obici Hospital and access to highways leading to Windsor and Smithfield.

Driving along the corridor can be difficult at certain times of day, when motorists are trying to turn into the numerous businesses there, said Robert T. Scott Jr., transportation engineer for location and design. ``It's always been a tight bottleneck,'' Scott said at a hearing on the plan Tuesday evening.

Fast food restaurants, service stations, retail businesses, offices, homes, a bank and a motel line that stretch of Main.

Once the project is completed, the widened road will make traveling the area easier, Scott said. But funneling traffic into less than four lanes during construction will be difficult, he said.

There's no way to reroute traffic because there are no nearby bridges across the Nansemond River. So the project must be done ``under traffic,'' he said.

Alternate routes include Pitchkettle and Wilroy roads to connect with U.S. Route 58 Bypass, then back to Main Street. Neither is a viable option because of the extra distance motorists must travel.

Plans will be developed to restrict the contractor's work schedule to accommodate the traffic flow as much as possible, Scott said.

North Main Street had an average of 29,400 vehicles a day in 1995, according to VDOT statistics. By 2015, they estimate the count will increase to 44,400 a day.

The project would have little impact on property owners. One house would be demolished, and some parking spaces would be lost at several businesses.

The plans must be approved by the City Council and the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Acquiring right-of-way for the project and moving utility poles would take about a year. Construction is expected to begin in early 1998 and could take anywhere from nine to 18 months, VDOT officials said.

Written comments on the plan will be accepted at V-DOT offices, 1700 N. Main St., until April 11. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN H. SHEALLY II/The Virginian-Pilot

The Virginia Department of Transportation plans to expand North Main

Street in Suffolk from four lanes to five, adding a center turn

lane. But the proposed construction could turn the five blocks

between the Nansemond River and Wal-Mart into a traffic nightmare

for a year, more or less.

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