U.S. Route 460 Corridor Improvements

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Location Study Details

The environmental impact statement (EIS) process requires that all reasonable alternatives be considered, including a “no-build” possibility. The study team has identified the best possible locations for a new roadway — referred to as the Candidate Build Alternatives (CBA). Descriptions of these, along with a map, are on this page.

Public Input

After two citizen information meetings were held in February 2004, more than 230 comment forms were submitted to the Route 460 study team. Comments addressed reactions to the preliminary conceptual alternatives presented at the February meetings in Windsor and Prince George.

The comments included:

• Alignment preferences
• Identification of sensitive environmental resources
• Discussion of the impacts of alternatives

These comments provided the team with information to perform a more detailed technical analysis and screening of the alternatives.

Technical Analysis and Screening

Following the February 2004 citizen information meetings, the study team continued technical analysis and performed alternative screening. The analysis enabled the team to modify the conceptual alternatives to minimize environmental impacts and maximize benefits. This technical work included:

• Completing travel demand forecasts that project the amount of future traffic each conceptual alternative would generate
   
• Identifying potential displacements (relocations) for each alternative, using 2002 aerial photography of the study area and real estate records
   
• Dividing each conceptual alternative into segments to identify specific impacts, such as displacements, wetlands, agricultural districts, and public facilities
   
• Determining the portions of each alternative that could be shifted to reduce the wetlands impacts
   
• Combining alternatives into hybrid alternatives to minimize the total environmental impacts. Each hybrid alternative attempted to improve upon the conceptual alternatives by reducing impacts to one or more screening factors.

Alternatives Considered

With input from interested citizens and federal agency partners, along with the results of detailed analyses, five alternatives were presented at the public hearings and are described in greater detail in the DEIS.
 
The map at right shows the CBAs described below. Click map for larger version (PDF, 1.1 MB)

The preferred CBA 1 alignment was adopted by the CTB as the location of the proposed roadway.This alignment is south of existing Route 460.

It is a four-lane divided highway. Access to towns and major secondary roads would be provided at nine interchange locations:

• Route 58 Bypass in Suffolk
• Route 258 in Windsor
• Route 616 south of Ivor
• Route 620 south of Wakefield
  
• Route 40 south of Waverly
• Route 602 west of Waverly
• Route 625 south of Disputanta
• Route 156 in Prince George County
• Interstate 295

See the new map for a minor shift in the alignment, and the Jan. 18, 2007, CTB resolution (PDF, 128 KB) approving it.

A study was conducted in conjunction with the location study to evaluate issues relating to implementing tolls on CBAs 1 and 3. Results of the feasibility study have been presented at the public hearings.

CBA 2 largely follows the alignment of existing Route 460, but includes northern bypasses around:

• Windsor
• Zuni
• Ivor
• Wakefield
• Waverly
• Disputanta

CBA 3 shares the same alignment as CBAs 1 and 2 in Suffolk. However, west of Suffolk, the roadway is located entirely on the north side of existing Route 460.

The Transportation Systems Management Alternative (not shown on the map) involves basic upgrades to the current Route 460.

The No-Build Alternative assumes that currently programmed, committed, and funded roadway projects in the VDOT Six-Year Plan and the Constrained Long Range Plan  developed by the Metropolitan Planning Organizations will be implemented.