STATE ROUTE 116 CORRIDOR REVIEW -ROANOKE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF ROANOKE- Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization July 2008 Acknowledgements ROANOKE VALLEY AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO) POLICY BOARD David Trinkle, Chair Billy Martin, Sr. Richard Flora, Vice Chair Joe McNamara Doug Adams Alvin Nash Richard Caywood J. Lee E. Osborne Tony Cho Melinda Payne Tammy Davis Jackie Shuck Darrell Feasel Ron Smith Carolyn Fidler Dave Wheeler William E. Holdren, Jr. PROJECT TEAM Matthew Rehnborg Jake Gilmer This report was prepared by the Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Or- ganization (RVAMPO) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Virginia Depart- ment of Transportation (VDOT). The contents of this report refl ect the views of the staff of the Roanoke Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO staff is responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The con- tents do not necessarily refl ect the offi cial views or policies of the FHWA, VDOT, or RVARC. This report does not constitute a standard, specifi cation, or regulation. FHWA or VDOT acceptance of this report as evidence of fulfi llment of the objectives of this planning study does not constitute endorsement/approval of the need for any recommended improvements nor does it constitute approval of their location and design or a commitment to fund any such improvements. Additional project level environmental impact assessments and/or studies of alternatives may be nec- essary. 2 •STATE ROUTE 116 CORRIDOR REVIEW• JULY 2008 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: TRAFFIC INFORMATION....................................................................3 Overview.....................................................................................................................4 Vehicle Type and Traffi c Information...................................................................8 Accidents...................................................................................................................10 Bridge Conditions....................................................................................................11 CHAPTER 2: LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT.....................................................13 Residential Development.......................................................................................14 Commercial Development....................................................................................15 Industrial Development........................................................................................15 Institutional Properties...........................................................................................15 Future Land Use.....................................................................................................16 CHAPTER 3: ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING........................................................19 Non-motorized Facilities........................................................................................20 Historic Resources...................................................................................................21 Endangered Species................................................................................................22 Water Resources......................................................................................................22 Wetlands...................................................................................................................24 TABLES Table 1- Road Characteristics..................................................................................5 Table 2- Current Traffi c Volumes...........................................................................8 Table 3- Projected Traffi c Volumes........................................................................9 Table 4- Accident Data..........................................................................................10 Table 5- Bridge Conditions....................................................................................11 MAPS Map 1- Traffi c Information....................................................................................12 Map 2- Current Zoning...........................................................................................17 Map 3- Environmental Screening: City of Roanoke..........................................25 Map 4- Environmental Screening: Roanoke County.........................................26 4 •STATE ROUTE 116 CORRIDOR REVIEW• JULY 2008 TRAFFIC INFORMATION 1 STATE ROUTE 116 IS AN IMPORTANT LINK between the Roanoke Valley and Smith Mountain Lake in Franklin County. Many residents of Roanoke make frequent trips to Smith Mountain Lake for recreati on or to second homes, while full-ti me residents in Franklin County use Rt. 116 to travel to Roanoke for employment or shopping. The full extent of Rt. 116 extends from Rt. 122 in Burnt Chimney, Franklin County to Rt. 101 in the City of Roanoke. The purpose of the Route 116 Corridor Review is to provide data and informati on for Roanoke County, the City of Roanoke, and the Virginia Department of Transportati on (VDOT) to use in their planning process. It examines the porti on of Rt. 116 from the Franklin County line to Jeff er- son Street in the City of Roanoke. The informati on collected will be use- ful in developing the Roanoke County and City of Roanoke Comprehensive Plans, as well as ‘Purpose and Need” statements for projects along the corridor. Environmental screening data contained in the Review will also help identi fy issues early in the planning process that may need to be addressed under provisions of the Nati onal Envi- ronmental Policy Act (NEPA). Overview State Route 116 is a two lane highway that runs in a southwest-northeast heading from State Route 122 in Franklin County to State Route 101 in Roanoke City. This corridor study will focus on the section of the road between Franklin County and Jef- ferson Street in Roanoke City. Route 116 is known by several names in this section. When it fi rst enters Roanoke County it is known as Jae Valley Road. Its name changes to Mt. Pleasant Boulevard in the community of Mount Pleasant. After its intersection with Route 658 in Roanoke City, its name changes to Riverland Road SE. Riverland Road SE continues until it reaches Piedmont Street SE. Route 116 briefl y uses Piedmont Street SE until it reaches Walnut Avenue SE. It then turns west onto Wal- nut Avenue SE and remains there until it reaches Jefferson Street. This section provides brief a summary of the physical characteristics of the road in the studied corridor. This information is also available in Table 1. FRANKLIN COUNTY LINE TO BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY State Route 116 enters Roanoke County from Franklin County through a pass in the Blue Ridge Mountains known as Windy Gap (Elevation 1257 ft.). The road’s elevation decreases 330 feet in the fi rst 0.7 miles of the corridor as it descends into the Back Creek basin. This portion of the road contains steep grades and several tight turns. After it passes over Back Creek, the road straightens and assumes a more level course for the next 1.41 miles until it reaches the Blue Ridge Parkway overpass. Route 116 is given a functional classi- fi cation of “major collector road” from the Federal Highway Administration in this section. The U.S. Census classifi ed this area as “rural.” The speed limit is 55 mph. The road has an average lane width of 10 feet and, as noted earlier, has several tight turns as it descends the Blue Ridge Mountains. The road has earth shoulders that are 1 foot wide between the Franklin County Line and One of several sharp turns on Rt. 116 as it descends the Blue Ridge Mountains Back Creek and 2 feet wide between 6 •STATE ROUTE 116 CORRIDOR REVIEW• JULY 2008 Back Creek and the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is one bridge in this section of the road (Virginia Structure 1087) that is used to cross over Back Creek. BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY TO RIVERLAND ROAD SE After State Route 116 passes under the Blue Ridge Parkway, it enters into a census- designated “Urbanized (3C)” area. From this point until the end of the studied cor- ridor, its Federal Functional Classifi cation is “Urban Minor Arterial.” Route 116 passes through the most densely populated areas of the Mt. Pleasant community in this section and serves as the primary transportation artery for that community. The speed limit decreases to 45 mph in this section. The road has an average lane width of 12 feet and 4 foot wide earth shoulders between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Roanoke City boundary, which is 1.17 miles away. After the road enters the City of Roanoke, the average lane width decreases to 10 feet and shoulders are eliminated entirely. MOUNT PLEASANT ROAD SE TO 9TH STREET SE This section begins at the intersection of State Route 116 and State Route 658. At that point, Route 116’s name changes from Mt. Pleasant Blvd. SE to Riverland Rd. SE. Additionally, the average lane width increases to 12 feet. The road continues to have no shoulders. Between the beginning of this section and the Riverland Rd. SE/Bennington St. SE intersection, which is only 0.16 miles away, the speed limit is 30 mph. After it passes that intersection, the speed limit increases to 35 mph. Between Bennington St. SE and 9th St. SE there are two traffi c signals. The fi rst is located at the intersection of Riverland Rd. SE and Garden City Blvd. SE. The second is at the Riverland Rd. SE/ 9th St. SE intersection.