Stafford’s Board of Supervisors is asking citizens to consider a $50 million bond referendum that could fund 35 road widening and safety improvement projects in addition to the eight major road projects. The road widening and safety improvement projects, identified as high-priority needs by the 2018 Comprehensive Road Study, are distributed throughout the County. And by visiting www.staffordcountyva.gov/bond and clicking on the road projects icon. Residents can interact with a digital map allowing the user to magnify into exactly where the projects are located and where they start and stop.

Projects selected for safety and widening improvements were considered based on road evaluations done within the Comprehensive Road Study. The County worked alongside the Virginia Department of Transportation, the agency responsible for building, maintaining and operating the state’s roads, bridges and tunnels. Roads that had vehicle counts of less than 1,700 vehicles per day (vpd) were assessed based on shoulder and pavement conditions. This metric is essential as the widening procedure is most cost-effective when completed in conjunction with other maintenance activities such as repaving or sealing. Thirty-five roads were selected for improvements, and the county seeks to fund these projects through several funding options that include bonds along with local, state and federal funds.

The following list includes the roads that would be authorized for the use of the proceeds from the sale of the transportation bonds:

It should be noted that the county did submit the ballot question to the Circuit Court without the Hope Road widening project listed. Hope Road is still listed on the 35 road widening projects lists. The County intends to complete the Hope Road project with alternative transportation funding sources, as bond proceeds cannot be used for this road.

Each of these road widening and safety improvement projects will add two feet to the shoulders on both sides of the road. The additional two feet of shoulder-width will provide several important functions improving safety and traffic operations. Widened shoulders provide space for maintenance activities to be conducted without closing a travel lane, an area for drivers to maneuver to avoid crashes, bicycle accommodation, improved stopping sight distance, improved drainage and space for enforcement activities.

If the referendum passes, Stafford County bond packages are planned to fund these road widening and safety improvement projects in increments. The projects will be performed in coordination with VDOT’s repaving schedule, until 2027, to save money as well as to minimize disruption for motorists.

For more information, please visit the 2019 Bond Referendum webpage at www.staffordcountyva.gov/bond.