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Chesterfield County planning ‘super street’ to ease traffic on Route 10

Posted at 7:53 PM, Mar 10, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-10 19:55:45-05

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Route 10 in Chester may soon become home to a ‘super street,’ that's a massive divided roadway that would be the first of its kind in Virginia. Super streets are designed to prevent crashes and lessen traffic congestion.

CBS 6 talked to Chester residents who live by the would-be super street to get their thoughts on the possible addition and the traffic in the area. Rivers Bend homeowner Barbara Schecter said she’s seen traffic explode in the nine plus years that she's lived there.

“For many reasons. From Fort Lee to the technology Park to Amazon--- there were so many factors that went into the increase in traffic,” she said.

Barbara Schecter

Barbara Schecter

She and other Chester neighbors have been keeping tabs on the county's strategy to battle Route 10 traffic.

Now the county is pressing forward with a $50 million plan to make Route 10 a super street.

The project would widen Route 10 from four to eight lanes from the intersection at Bermuda Triangle Road to the intersection at Rivers Bend Boulevard.

The super street would eliminate the thru/left turns on Minor Streets and require drivers to turn right onto Route 10 and eventually make a U-turn.

Chester resident Roger Lowe said he not quite sure how it would work, he is very open to the new idea.

“I'll be perfectly honest with you when I look at it, it’s hard to understand how it's all going to work,” he said. “I'm not a traffic professional, but I'm sure a lot of thought has gone into this.”

A big change happens at the Meadowvale Road intersection. The county would put in turn lanes and traffic signals and the two lane road would be widened to six lanes.

Super street 2

Route 10 in Chester

Previously some neighbors told the county that this super street would be too confusing. Schecter said she just wants things to be safe.

“Yes it might be a little inconvenient to have to go to the right and then do a U-turn further up Route 10, but if it's safer for everybody...” she said.

Lowe agrees.

“I'm confident that this is going to improve the situation,” he said. “It's just going to take three years of grin and bear it. Hopefully it's what everyone will be willing to do.”

Chesterfield County said, in the next 20 years Route 10 will see more than 100,000 vehicles every day. They believe the $50 million super street is the answer to their traffic woes

They said they are in the process of acquiring land for the project. The final schedule will be set once they obtain the other $25 million needed for construction.

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