Major Projects
U.S. Route 460 Corridor Improvements
Route 460 home | Location Study summary | Location Study details | PPTA info
Location Study Details
Overview
The Route 460 Corridor was part of the national “TransAmerica Corridor” designated by federal transportation legislation in 1991.
In the late 1990s, Virginia and West Virginia collaborated on a feasibility study investigating transportation improvements between Beckley, W. Va. and Virginia Beach. This current location study is the next step in the identification and evaluation of potential improvements to our state’s segment of Route 460.
Improvements to the corridor are included in the Constrained Long-Range
Transportation Plans for both the Tri-Cities and Hampton
Roads metropolitan planning organizations. Additionally, this study is
included in the Six-Year Improvement
Plan.
Current Study Description
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), in cooperation with the
FHWA, is conducting a location study to consider future improvements to Route
460 between Interstate 295 in Prince George County and the Suffolk Bypass (U.S.
Route 58). The study will examine transportation problems including road
capacity, mobility and access, and will look at potential solutions.
This location study will produce the following information and decision
milestones:
- Identification of alternatives
- An engineering assessment of alternatives
- Documentation of environmental impacts
- Selection of an alternative by the CTB
- Completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process
Purpose and Need for the Route 460 Location Study
During the study process, the purpose and need for the project is developed and documented as part of an interim report called the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The purpose and need identifies the transportation problems the study should address and serves as a basis for developing and screening solutions to those problems.
Alternatives that do not meet the purpose and need do not proceed to the next
phase. The purpose and need document is updated throughout the study. Key
elements include: 
- Addressing roadway deficiencies: Route 460 has design and
operational deficiencies that cause safety and mobility problems.
- Improving safety: Crash
rates
(PDF, 3 MB) for Route 460 are higher
than on other similar roadways in Virginia.
- Accommodating increasing freight shipments: The percentage
of trucks on Route 460 is significantly greater than national averages for
similar rural roads. Truck traffic is forecasted to grow due to expansions at
the Port of Virginia.
- Reducing travel delays: Future traffic volumes will result
in increased travel delays on Route 460, due to capacity limitations at traffic
signals and the lack of access control.
- Providing adequate hurricane evacuation capability: Route
460 is a designated hurricane evacuation route for Hampton Roads
communities.
- Assuring strategic military importance: Route 460 is part
of the Strategic Highway Network designated by the Department of Defense and
FHWA.
- Meeting legislative mandates: Federal legislation and the
Virginia Transportation Act of 2000 identify the road as a high priority
corridor for improvement.
- Meeting local economic development plans: Localities within the Route 460 study area have identified the need for transportation improvements to meet economic development objectives.
