Roundabout dilemma forces second New Kent supervisor to speak out

Same script, different cast.

While those words are key lyrics in a popular song, they can also be used to describe the ongoing construction to create a roundabout at the intersection of Route 249 (New Kent Highway) and Airport/Tunstall Road in the Quinton area of New Kent.

The project, which had an original completion date of December 2015, has frustrated District 1 representative Thomas Evelyn to the point where he verbally expressed dismay at multiple board meetings. And now, 13 months later and with the project still incomplete, another New Kent leader voiced displeasure with the numerous delays.

After Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)’s representative Bruce Puffenbarger completed his monthly report during the Jan. 10 regular board meeting, Patricia Paige placed her head in her forehand as she commented about the roundabout project.

“I have been flooded with a number of phone calls about the project,” said the District 3 leader. “I keep hearing from the updates you give us about phases and each one, but there is never a timeline attached to that.

“Is there any sort of timeframe you can give us with the timeline?” she questioned.

“Right now, this is the only thing we have is the report the contractor sends us,” Puffenbarger replied, adding that specific information on how long each phase would take was not included in the document given to the VDOT representative.

Not to be outdone, a visibly upset Evelyn could not refrain from commenting on the situation.

“I drive through that area often just to see the progress,” said the District 1 representative. “This is the fourth contractor for this project and when they first started, things seemed to move into a positive direction.

“But now, I drive through there and one week they’re working and the next they’re not,” Evelyn continued. “When we have very nice days for weather they [workers] are not there. The only time I see them now is when they are working on the weekends.”

Puffenbarger responded, saying to the best of his knowledge the contractor was looking to hire local workers to speed up the process. Meanwhile, Evelyn asked VDOT Residence Engineer Bruce McNabb when the project was scheduled to be completed.

“Right now they said the end of February,” McNabb responded to Evelyn’s inquiry.

“That’s not happening,” retorted the supervisor, who reiterated his stance through his personal monitoring of the project since it was announced in March 2015.

Puffenberger concluded by saying the project is now wrapping up phase four of five. Phase five is expected to have the heaviest impact on traffic in the area, as traffic will shift during the day for final paving and nighttime traffic will consist of a temporary roundabout.