Studies
City of Waynesboro and Augusta County - Route 250 Corridor Improvement Study
Overview of Study
** Completed Study **
U.S. Route 250 (West Main Street in Waynesboro, Jefferson Highway in Augusta County) is a State Primary and Principal Arterial roadway that serves as the western entrance corridor for the City of Waynesboro. The roadway runs east and west, parallel to Interstate 64, connecting the city to Fishersville and Staunton to the west. The corridor is an important local and regional commercial area with businesses fronting the roadway. It also provides access to multiple side streets serving residential areas located behind the commercial areas.
This section of Route 250 is generally characterized by a 5-lane, undivided typical section with a high volume of commercial entrances and side street intersections. As a result, the corridor experiences higher than expected crashes and afternoon peak-hour operational issues. The roadway also lacks pedestrian facilities except for a short section where sidewalk was installed with the redevelopment of a commercial property.
The goal of this STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study was to identify improvement recommendations to establish West Main Street as a vibrant entrance for the City of Waynesboro with a focus on enhancing mobility and safety for all users, while improving the overall aesthetics to create a true gateway corridor.
The study evaluated existing and future transportation conditions along a 1.8-mile segment of Route 250 between the intersection of Route 640 (Old White Bridge Road) in Augusta County and the intersection with Hopeman Parkway in Waynesboro. VDOT served as the project manager for the study with ATCS Consulting developing the study, supporting analysis, and improvement concepts. The study team was also composed of technical staff from Augusta County, BRITE Transit, the Staunton Augusta Waynesboro MPO and the City of Waynesboro. Final study recommendations are being considered by the city and county for advancement through state transportation funding programs.
Study Documents and Survey
Final Study Report with Appendix
Summary of Initial Public Survey
Summary of Final Public Survey
Exhibits of Study Recommendations:
Benefits of Study Recommendations
- Reduction of conflicting turning movements through the evaluation of Innovative Intersections and median improvements.
- Improve corridor operations and progression through intersection improvements, access management and signal coordination.
- Enhance non-motorized facilities with sections of new sidewalk, on-street bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossing improvements.
- Roadway aesthetics and gateway enhancements.
- Recommendations will consist of strategic short-term and long-term transportation improvement projects that can be prioritized by the city and county and phased over time relative to available funding.
Study Timeline
- Study kickoff meeting was held June 2019 with supporting traffic data collected at the end of August 2019.
- Study team meeting was held October 2019 to discuss existing corridor conditions, including a crash analysis.
- Study team meeting was held December 2019 to discuss projected future corridor conditions and review developed draft improvement alternatives.
- An online public input survey, released in January 2020, presented the needs and recommendations of the study corridor for public feedback.
- Results of the survey were utilized by the study team to develop a preferred improvement alternative. The study and corridor recommendations were finalized in June 2020.
- A final public information survey to share and request public feedback on the study recommendations was conducted in October 2020. A link to the survey summary is included on this page.
- The City of Waynesboro and Augusta County submitted SMART SCALE transportation funding applications along US 250 consisting of the study recommendations in August 2020.
- Following an evaluation of applications, the Waynesboro segment of US 250 from the intersection with Lew Dewitt Boulevard to Hopeman Parkway was awarded $12.6 million and programmed in the VDOT Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP). Preliminary engineering design is underway with a current construction start date of early 2026.