NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The intersection of Warwick Boulevard and Oriana Road is part of what's called a safety corridor. Basically, it's a segment of roadway that has been identified as having higher-than-expected crash rates and crash severity.
“The traffic volumes on Warwick are about 30,000 vehicles per day," said Lisa Simpson, Chief of Transportation for Newport News.
A busy road means higher chances for crashes.
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In the last two years, there have been 19 crashes just at this intersection alone. City officials say something that has to change. So on Wednesday, a reconfiguration plan was presented to the public.
“Long story short we are constructing a median at the intersection to change the traffic flow in there," said project manager J.J. Butler.
"So basically, if you’re at Oriana Road you used to be able to go straight, right and left, but now you’ll just be able to go right onto Warwick."
Some residents at the meeting voiced their concerns about the new design, with some thinking it was too inconvenient.
“This was the option we came up with," Butler told News 3. "We investigated other things such as different signal timings and everything and it just wasn’t sufficient."
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The project will cost a little under $900,000 and is federally funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Meaning, it won't cost taxpayers a dime.
“The higher levels of traffic volumes that we have on Warwick in the north and southbound direction, and the lower traffic volumes we have on Oriana, make this a good candidate for this kind of project,” Simpson said.
Looking at the bigger picture, Warwick Boulevard has been a trouble spot for years. Just last month, one person was killed in a crash at the Warwick and Nettles Drive intersection. City leaders hope that in the future, continuing to make small changes like these, will lead to safer roads for all.
“Absolutely this is something we consider in the future if similar conditions apply,” said Simpson.
Construction on the intersection is scheduled to begin late 2024, early 2025. It should take about five to six months to complete.
