The Salem regional office of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced June 8 the state agency has awarded a $4.5 million contract for a road project to improve a section of VA Route 419 (Electric Road) near Tanglewood Mall on Roanoke's southeast side.

Kanawha Stone Company in Nitro, W.V., will perform the work to upgrade the 0.6-mile-long portion of Rt. 419 between Rt. 867 (Ogden Road) and the U.S. Highway 220 split.

The VDOT determined the improvements were necessary to alleviate congestion and provide pedestrians and cyclists safer accommodations along this busy east-west section of Rt. 419 in front of Tanglewood Mall. The addition of a third lane along southbound Rt. 419 will help move the excess traffic by extending the lane until it ties to the U.S. 220 South exit ramp.

Sidewalks and bike lanes will be added along with appropriate crosswalks at the upgraded signals that will facilitate bike and pedestrian movement throughout the corridor. Transit improvements include combining the bus stops along southbound Rt. 419 into one major stop with a public bus shelter in front of the Copper Croft Apartments.

In addition, traffic signals will be upgraded to include pedestrian signals and crosswalks at Ogden Road, Elm View Road and South Peak Boulevard. Sidewalks will be added along Rt. 419 northbound, with southbound sidewalks slated to be installed between Ogden Road and the Wendy's restaurant.

New pavement and markings are planned for the Rt. 419 upgrades and a retaining wall will also be constructed in the vicinity of the U.S. 220 Expressway's southbound exit ramp.

Shoulder closures and nighttime lane closures on Rt. 419 can be expected during the construction, according to VDOT.

Now that Kanawha Stone is on board for the project, work will begin immediately with a targeted completion set for the fall of 2021.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) included funding for the Rt. 419 project in the VDOT's budget in 2016 as result of Roanoke County submitting a SMART SCALE application. This program is a statewide effort that distributes monies based on a transparent and objective evaluation of projects that will determine how effectively they help Virginia to achieve its transportation goals.

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