VDOT hearing tonight on proposed Route 1 and Layhill Road intersection changes in Stafford

The Virginia Department of Transportation is asking for public input on a proposed redesign of the intersection of Route 1 and Route 624 (Layhill Road) in Stafford County, starting with an in-person design public hearing tonight.

Hearing details

The hearing runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Falmouth Elementary School, 1000 Forbes St. It is set up as an open house, so there is no formal presentation; residents can arrive at any point during those two hours to review project displays and talk with VDOT staff. VDOT has set a backup date of Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the same school, in case one is needed. The agency said project materials would be posted on the project page on the day of the hearing.

What is proposed

According to VDOT, the $14.3 million project is meant to improve safety and traffic operations at an intersection that carries roughly 25,000 vehicles a day. The proposal includes:

• Widening Layhill Road to create two right-turn lanes and one left-turn lane onto Route 1.

• A new connector road linking Layhill Road with Heritage Commons Drive behind the Valero gas station, with new left-turn lanes on eastbound Layhill Road to both the connector and Forbes Street.

• A longer, improved right-turn lane from Layhill Road to Forbes Street.

• On Route 1, a longer southbound left-turn lane, a new raised median to manage access, a longer northbound right-turn lane onto Layhill Road, and a rebuilt northbound right-turn lane between Layhill Road and Heritage Commons Drive.

• A 10-foot shared-use path along westbound Layhill Road from Forbes Street to the new connector, plus 5-foot sidewalks along segments of Layhill Road, Route 1, Heritage Commons Drive and the connector road.

The project is funded through SMART SCALE, Virginia's program for scoring and selecting transportation projects. VDOT said it expects to advertise the project to construction bidders in November 2029.

How to comment

Comments will be taken at the hearing and through Saturday, Nov. 7. Residents can respond to the online survey on the project's PublicInput page, email fred.comments@vdot.virginia.gov with "Route 1 and Layhill Road" in the subject line, or mail comments to Ms. Jessica Graves, Project Manager, VDOT, 87 Deacon Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22405.

Source: Virginia Department of Transportation announcement on the Route 1 and Layhill Road hearing; also reported by Potomac Local News.