Botetourt County proposes new development at I-81 Exit 150

BOTETOURT COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Botetourt County released details Tuesday about its plans to make a busy intersection into a business hub.

County leaders hope VDOT's 47 million dollar road construction project at the intersection of Route 220 and Interstate 81 will attract new retail business, and help create the county's newest living community.

Botetourt is hoping it can begin work on the new planned "Gateway Crossing" sometime next year.

Right now, VDOT is still undergoing heavy construction in the area, but the first new road should be open coming this fall.

Exit 150 sees thousands of cars and trucks a day.

"It's quite literally the crossings for the entire southern part of the county. It provides access to the Roanoke Valley, Lynchburg, and to the north," said County Spokesperson Cody Sexton.

Sexton says that traffic is what the county wants to take advantage of.

He says the Gateway Crossing development might give those motorists driving through a reason to stay.

"A mix of retail and housing, and various kinds of commercial that can really raise that level of the county to the next level and let it be the economic driver that it is," said Sexton.

That development depends on VDOT's new roads, round about, and improved intersections in the area.

"The VDOT improvement project is the catalyst for everything we want to do. That is what set this whole project off. We realized that the new intersection, this new construction, is a new starting point for the area," said Sexton.

Construction on Gateway Crossing is already nearing completion.

VDOT Spokesperson Jason Bond says the new road connecting Route 11 near the Pilot Truck Stop to Route 220 could be a paved by this fall.

That's why the county has hired a contractor with the Renaissance Planning Group to help determine the next steps toward development along that new road.

"What this will allow us to do is to set the policies in place of achieving that vision and to be able to better build collaborative partnerships with the landowners and the folks that want to come into that area," said Sexton.

Sexton says many of those landowners have already expressed interest in developing the area.

Those stake-holders, and other people interested, will get a first look at the plans next Monday.

"We want some ideas, some reactions to what the consultants are giving. We hope people come with lots of questions, and we'll be ready to answer," said Sexton.

VDOT says after the road that connects Route 11 and Route 220 is complete, it will be called "Gateway Crossing".

It will serve as a detour for drivers when VDOT has to close down Route 11 near the Pilot Truck Stop in the beginning of next year.

The whole road project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2017.

Come Monday, the county will share more about the its plans for business development at Gateway Crossing.