Tonight's Public Hearing will be at the VDOT District Auditorium at 86 Deacon Road, Falmouth, Virginia 22405 
 
If you can't make the Public Hearing tonight at 6:00 PM,  please Email your comments to fampo@gwregion.org
 
Here's a map I made to simplify the best two Inner Connector River Crossings and Trail proposals in the study. There will also be a tweak of the Orange corridor in the future (Option 2) to loop it around England Run Lane.

The Greenbank Road connections impact too many homes and should be thrown out, so I didn't use them on the map. It is also the most costly. Federal Regulations require different options to compare to be eligible for Federal Funding.

I included the proposed Belmont to Cannon Ridge Waterfall Trail to the Picture and simplified it with the two best crossing options. It's important to start focusing on the Trails and the Park proposal, before the developers try to create private access to the public lands.

Both proposals have their Pro's and Con's and need further evaluations that might be in the full study document. It will be released in May. Either crossing proposal is acceptable, but I don't agree with the Plantation Connection to Centreport, because it will have too many traffic lights and entrances that will be right in and right out only. Those blocked entrances will require hundreds of U-turns per day, creating safety and traffic flow issues.

I will save that for another day and focus on getting one of the river crossing proposals approved. There will be opposition to each proposal, but a lot of public support too.

I believe option 2 will impact about a dozen houses vs. Option 4 that impacts zero houses

The state plans to build a new VDOT facility near the Commuter lot on Route 17 and possibly a new State Police headquarters somewhere near the crossing.

MAP Code

Light Blue left is River Crossing Option 4.

Orange lower is River Crossing Option 2.

Orange upper is Connection to Commerce Street.

Dark Blue is Waterfall Trail.

Purple is proposed Belmont to Cannon Ridge Historic Trail.

Green dotted trails on left is existing dirt trails at Lake Mooney.

Green dotted trails center is existing paved golf cart trails at closed Cannon Ridge Golf Course.

Green Trails on Right the existing paved Belmont to Chatham Bridge Trail and future Ferry Farm Trail.

Green Trail on Celebrate VA Pkwy is an existing paved 9' wide Trail with street lights.

Hope to see you at the Public Hearing,
Joe Brito