Traffic light coming to busy section of Bottoms Bridge in New Kent; Exit 211 interchange being studied for makeover

By Andre Jones | July 9, 2024 9:45 am

New Kent County Board of Supervisors heard updates on one traffic project that is currently in the works along with a proposal for another at Monday night’s regular board meeting.

Work has started at the intersection of Pocahontas Trail (Route 60) and Marketplace Drive in the Bottoms Bridge area of the county to bring a traffic light to that area. The project, which was requested by former District 2 supervisor Tommy Tiller, was requested as that intersection leads to several businesses and homes. The area is also a high-traffic area as it is near the intersection of Pocahontas Trail and New Kent Highway (Route 249). The project came to fruition after a study of the corridor that spanned from the county border with Henrico to the Star Motel on Pocahontas Trail. Current District 2 supervisor John Moyer commented on how he has already seen progress and is already pleased with it.

The intersection is expected to be completed sometime during the fall.

In another project, New Kent supervisors are endorsing modifications to an interchange in the county.

Exit 211 from Interstate 65, the Talleysville exit, is the subject of a Smart Scale project sought by the county.

According to New Kent Planning Director Amy Inman, Central Virginia’s Transportation Authority (CVTA) have already endorsed and approved $18.1 million to support an overhaul of the interchange of Exit 211. The project, which is listed to cost up to $41 million, would bring New Kent its first diverging diamond interchange to the county. A diverging diamond interchange is one that sees the rare occurrence when vehicles will travel on the opposite side on a non-freeway road of the interchange as part of an overpass or underpass.

Supervisors showed their support for the project, stating that growth of the county in that area as one of the primary reasons for upgrading the road conditions. The project still has several phases to go for approval before any modifications take place.