BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – Drivers have said for years that traveling along Route 460, near Montvale, was not safe.
“Not for tractor trailers especially. So, yea, it was pretty rough,” said Herman Cupp, a driver in Bedford County.
VDOT is finishing a two-year construction project that straightened a dangerous, 1.5-mile S-curve in the eastbound lane.
“They’ve done the right thing by putting it in, and it’s real nice,” said Cupp.
“I think it looks fantastic. It’s been a long time coming, and it sure has made things better coming back and forth from Roanoke,” said Mel Sweet, another Bedford County driver.
VDOT spokesman Jason Bond said the purpose of the project was to improve safety.
“There have been some high-profile crashes in those S-curves in years past. Tanker trucks have overturned there. So, I think this will make a much safer roadway,” said Bond.
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The project cost about $19 million.
It also improved crossovers for drivers making U-turns.
The work zone forced single-lane closures and knocked the speed limit down to 45 miles per hour.
Bond said that is about to change and drivers should expect a safer, less-congested ride.
“If there are any traffic impacts at all, there would be a few daytime lane closures; but for the most part, work at this point is winding down and complete,” said Bond.
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