ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City’s Williamson Road will soon see safety improvements, thanks to the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Thriving Communities Program.
City officials announced the news on Monday afternoon, saying that the city will share in $21.15 million worth of technical assistance over the next two years.
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We’re told the program will provide the city with support in community engagement and technical modeling to address safety improvements on Williamson Road.
As we reported in February, in the past five years, there have been 550 crashes along Williamson Road, according to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicle data. Six of those crashes were deadly.
The community was split over proposed safety measures introduced earlier in the year, and it was not immediately clear what changes would be coming to Williamson Road with this funding.
City Manager Bob Cowell is still hopeful for Williamson Road’s future.
“We are thrilled to be chosen for this program and look forward to working with our partners to develop a plan for Williamson Road that meets the needs of all our residents,” said Cowell. “We are confident that this program will help us create a vibrant corridor that can enhance access into downtown and the City’s Innovation Corridor, restore connections between adjacent neighborhoods, and enable safe and reliable mobility options.”
There were 64 total communities in 42 states chosen to share in the multi-million dollar assistance, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. See a map of all selected communities and learn more about the program here.