VDOT: Public hearing moved to June 21, 2021 for Route 658 (Rockland Road) bridge

The Virginia Department is moving the Route 658 (Rockland Road) design virtual public hearing to Monday, June 21, 2021, 4-6 p.m. Technology issues necessitated the date change. If people attending the meeting have technical issues, please call 540-332-9075 for assistance. The original hearing date was Thursday, June 17, 2021.

The design public hearing is for the construction of a bridge on Route 658 over the Norfolk Southern Railway in Warren County. The meeting will take place in a virtual format from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday, June 21, 2021. The public can join the meeting by going to the VDOT website project page for Warren County – Route 658 (Rockland Road) Bridge and following instructions to connect to the meeting. Please use this web address to get to the project page: https://www.virginiadot.org/RocklandRoad

Please note, the entire online public meeting will be recorded and placed on YouTube.

The project creates a grade-separated crossing over the Norfolk Southern Railway on Route 658 in Warren County, near Front Royal and the Virginia Inland Port. The Rockland Road bridge project will improve Route 658 traffic flow reliability while accommodating future rail needs.

Currently, motorists randomly experience frequent and extensive delays at this railroad crossing with trains accessing this track multiple times a day. Train traffic includes trains traveling through the corridor or performing unloading operations at the Virginia Inland Port.

The Route 658 grade separation consists of a bridge 220-feet long and 42-feet wide with a minimum vertical clearance of 23 feet over the railroad tracks. The bridge height will accommodate double-stacked freight containers. Trains will pass underneath the bridge while Route 658 traffic travels uninterrupted on the bridge.

The project also includes improvements to roadway approaches on Route 658. Additionally, the project improves the alignment of Route 705 (Fishnet Boulevard) with the entrance to Rockland Park.

Construction is anticipated for December 2023 and lasts 16 months. Route 658 will be closed for the duration and traffic detoured via Routes 340/522 (Winchester Road) to the west and Route 661 (Fairground Road) to the east and north. Rockland Park will remain open to the public during construction.

In 2019, Route 658 had an average daily traffic count of 2,200 vehicles per day, and by the design year of 2046, the estimated average daily traffic volume would be 5,990 vehicles per day.

The total estimated cost for this project is $27,371,830, including $1,940,393 for preliminary engineering, $3,491,616 for right-of-way and $21,939,821 for construction. It is funded in part by a BUILD grant awarded to the Virginia Port Authority by the United States Department of Transportation.

How to connect to the virtual public hearing using the WebEx platform
On the VDOT website go to: https://www.virginiadot.org/RocklandRoad
• Follow the instructions to join the live public hearing.

How to provide comments for the official public hearing transcript. Comments can be submitted within 10 days after the meeting date.

• By Web: Use the ArcGIS Survey123 which will be accessed through the web project page: https://www.virginiadot.org/RocklandRoad

• This survey will be live on-line from June 21, 2021 through July 1, 2021.

• By Phone: Call 540-332-7848 and leave a voice mail. The message will be transcribed and placed into the hearing transcript. The phone line voicemail will be available from June 21, 2021 through July 1, 2021.

• By Email: elizabeth.jordan@vdot.virginia.gov

• By U.S. Mail: Write to Elizabeth Jordan, Ph.D. Project Manager. Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401-9029.

Public hearing participants should be aware that questions or remarks made via telephone or typed in the WebEx chat feature during the meeting will not be entered into the official meeting transcript. To hear or view these interactions, the public can access a recording of the entire public meeting on VDOT’s YouTube channel.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany, and Bath counties.

(VDOT Press Release)