The Patrick County School Board approved a request for the Board of Supervisors to consider initiating the process to abandon the section of Dogwood Road directly in front of Hardin Reynolds Memorial School (HRMS) at its Tuesday, June 17 meeting.
Schools Superintendent Jason Wood said he, Maintenance Director Chad Haynes, and School Board member Walter Scott, of the Smith River District, met with representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) on May 16.
“In those meetings, it has been a safety concern in Patrick County since I’ve been back in Patrick County—probably well before that—about the road and traffic between the building facility at HRMS and the gym,” Wood said.
Scott said the proposed plan is to close Dogwood Road from where it meets Crossover Drive to Abram Penn Highway. That would convert the current four-way intersection into a three-way stop and remove the need for students to cross the roadway to get to the gym.
“They’re going to grind that sucker up all the way out here to the gym and plant, and from the gym back to the stop sign near Crossover Drive, they’re going to plant it back in grass,” he said.
At the Crossover Drive turn, Scott said VDOT will also make improvements to allow for easier access.
“They’re going to fix it a little bit wider so they can make the turn in a truck,” he said.
Scott added that car riders and school buses would continue using the same routes they do now.
“It’s pretty much going to be the same route, the way I understood them saying it, but the main thing was cutting it off out there so there won’t be through traffic through here,” he said.
Wood reiterated his long-standing concerns, noting he believes it’s a matter of when, not if, something catastrophic occurs in the area.
While HRMS students are typically aware of the traffic pattern, Wood said the risk is increased by distracted drivers, and referenced a recent incident in North Carolina where electrical workers were hit.
“So, we fear that at a ballgame, someone who’s not familiar with the road thinks it’s a parking lot and walks out into the street. We would definitely not want that to happen,” he said.
In 2016, the issue was previously presented to the Board of Supervisors, but a cost was associated with the project at the time.
“I’m here to ecstatically announce that VDOT is going to work with us and do the work at zero cost to the county or to the school system. However, it goes back to our compromise and working together with the Board of Supervisors—they have to initiate the process,” Wood said.
He noted that he has already sent the committee report via email to all supervisors so they are aware the topic will be on the agenda for the July meeting.
“There are drawings already made from VDOT, and they said it would be at no cost to the county or school system, so I’m hoping that we will work together and are able to get that on their agenda to have a public hearing to abandon that portion of the road,” he said.
Scott said he is eager to see the plan become a reality.
“I was hoping to see it happen before this school year starts back up, but obviously it’s not. That’s something that I really think needs to happen. It’s just waiting … for someone to have an accident there. We don’t want our names on that if we could prevent it,” he said.
Chairman Amy Walker, of the Mayo River District, thanked VDOT for presenting to the school board again and at no charge.
“I live there. I have half a mile from this intersection, and it can get sketchy at times. I mean I’ve seen it all throughout my life there. I’m excited for it,” she said.
Walker said she understands that in the past, some community members were not supportive of the plan.
“But if you look at the way the road turns, and if VDOT could fix that to accommodate our farmers and tractors and trailers and all these things that use that road and the intersection there, it’s going to be a deal. It’s also going to be a huge help and improvement in the community, so I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Rob Martin, of the Dan River District, shared a constituent’s recent experience following a recreational sports match at HRMS. He said students came out of the gym and one ran straight out the door toward the road.
“Luckily this staff member was able to grab him right as a car was flying by,” he said. “I think it’s 15 miles per hour through there, and I don’t think there’s a car that does 15 miles an hour through there. Just like Mr. Scott said, it’s just a matter of time before something drastic happens.”
