While parts of Loudoun County, Virginia, continue to grow quickly, many drivers have been surprised when their car’s navigation system took them from a busy commuter road to an unexpected gravel one.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is working to establish a new program aimed at codifying which unpaved roads should be recommended for improvements other than paving.
Earlier this year, bills introduced by Loudoun County state lawmakers Democratic Sen. Russet Perry, Republican Del. Geary Higgins and Democratic Del. David Reid looked to clarify state law to allow state funds to be used in the maintenance of rural secondary roads — without paving them. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed those bills in March.
Under the recent law, the Virginia Department of Transportation can use state funds to perform improvements on unpaved secondary roads in addition to the paving option.
Last Wednesday, the county supervisors’ Transportation and Land Use Committee heard details of a proposed Unpaved Roads Program that aims to guide which roads in Loudoun County will be recommend for improvements.
“Data to be considered includes traffic counts, crash counts, maintenance frequency, number of homes served by the road, and equity considerations,” according to the staff report.
According to the briefing, the county is still waiting for details which could affect which roads or projects are recommended.
“VDOT has not yet identified the potential improvements and techniques that would be eligible to receive district grant funds, nor have they determined the process that will be used to recommend and prioritize which roads and/or road segments should receive such treatment.”
Under the new law, Loudoun County is required to select the segments to be improved after consulting with VDOT.
The county is expecting guidance in the near future from VDOT. The proposed Unpaved Roads Program will likely be voted on by the full Board of Supervisors this fall.
Four years ago, Preservation Virginia, a privately-funded, statewide historical preservation group, added Loudoun County’s rural road network to its “2020 Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Places” list.