Prices Fork Road and U.S. Route 460 Bypass Interchange Study

Overview

The Town of Blacksburg has selected architectural and engineering firm Whitman, Requardt & Associates (WRA) to design conceptual plans for a bicycle and pedestrian crossing at the Prices Fork Road and U.S. Route 460 Bypass Interchange.

The Prices Fork corridor sees a significant flow of bicycle and pedestrian travel, in addition to vehicular traffic. This area is home to a sizable population of Virginia Tech students, numerous residential developments in the Town of Blacksburg and Montgomery County, and three public schools situated west of the Prices Fork Road and U.S. Route 460 Bypass Interchange.

The existing bridges on the Prices Fork Road and U.S. Route 460 Bypass Interchange, designed and built in the 1970s, were not constructed to handle the large volume of bicycle and pedestrian traffic that is seen today and is predicted in the future.

The central objective of this project is to enhance bicycle and pedestrian mobility through the existing Prices Fork/Route 460 interchange area by incorporating a 10-foot wide shared-use path. A shared-use path is defined as a separated, paved trail for the two-way travel of non-vehicular users such as bicyclists and pedestrians. Potential future interchange modifications to accommodate traffic growth are also being studied to ensure the compatibility of a new shared-use path through the area. It is anticipated that a bicycle/pedestrian crossing, along with providing safe access to the bridge, will require revisions to the entrance and/or exit ramps of the existing interchange.

This project will also include a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Operational and Safety Analysis Report (OSAR), and a traffic analysis to determine current usage and circulation patterns, which will inform proposed interchange improvements.

If project funding is received from VDOT, construction could begin in approximately five years; the anticipated duration of project construction is two years after construction begins.

Conceptual design plans will be ready for the VDOT SmartScale application by mid to late summer. VDOT SmartScale is a grant program that evaluates transportation projects on a state-wide basis considering safety, reducing congestion, increasing accessibility, contributing to economic development, promoting efficient land use, and affecting the environment.

New Option Developed: Option B Plus

Respondents to the March 2024 public survey prioritized the design criteria of pedestrian and bicycle safety, and traffic operations on Prices Fork Road. Option C emerged as the favored design choice among the three options according to public feedback. Common recurring themes from the open-ended section of the survey included general concerns for the safety of bicycle and pedestrian users, specifically the need for separated facilities and protected crossings. Additionally, it was felt that the project options do not provide enough safety.

In response to, and in consideration of this feedback and the greater right-of-way impacts, greater operational traffic impacts, and the higher cost of Option C, project staff in partnership with WRA created a blended option, called Option B Plus. This option was presented alongside the other options to Town Council, and Option B Plus was selected for the VDOT Smart Scale application process moving forward.
To view an image of Option B Plus, click the blue hyperlink title. An image of this option is also located under the "Project Documents" tab.

Option B Plus:

Option B Plus is similar to Option B, as it provides a newly separated 10-foot-wide shared-use path bridge on the east side of Prices Fork Road for two-way bike and pedestrian travel, but includes slightly reconfigured ramps, retaining the 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.
In addition, Option B Plus provides a grade-separated bike/pedestrian crossing at the east-bound 460 off-ramp.

Pros:

• No impacts to the existing bridge.
• Preserves the 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.
• Reduces speed at Shared Use Path crossing.
• Eliminates at-grade crossing at the eastbound 460 off-ramp.
• Safe option for bicycle and pedestrian users.

Cons:

• Adds two half signals along Prices Fork Road, signalizing westbound Prices Fork and the ramps.
• Option B Plus features a half signal to stop westbound Prices Fork Traffic at the 460-east off-ramp, and a half-stop light to control westbound Prices Fork traffic at the 460 west on-ramp. Half signal: A half signal only controls one direction of travel.
• Higher projected construction cost due to the separated Shared Use Path bridge.
• Eliminates the left turn from Route 460 eastbound to Prices Fork Road eastbound and requires a U-turn at Plantation Road.

Considered Interchange Design Options
To view an image of each option, click the blue hyperlink title. Each option image is also located under the "Project Documents" tab. The public input survey closed on March 25.

Option A:
Provides for a 10-foot-wide shared-use path on the east side of the existing bridge for two-way bike and pedestrian travel. Existing ramp crossings are retained. The 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge remains.

Pros:

• Uses the existing bridge for the Shared Use Path.
• Preserves the 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.
• Nominal right of way impacts.
• Lower cost alternative.

Cons:

• Has the most uncontrolled pedestrian crossings of the three options.
• Requires modifications to the existing bridge.

Option B:
Provides a newly separated 10-foot-wide shared-use path bridge on the east side of Prices Fork Road for two-way bike and pedestrian travel. The ramps are slightly reconfigured. The 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge remains.

Pros:

• No impacts to the existing bridge.
• Preserves the 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.
• Reduces speed at Shared Use Path crossing.
• Lower cost alternative.

Cons:

• Has more controlled pedestrian crossings than Option A, but less than Option C
• Adds two half signals along Prices Fork Road, signalizing westbound Prices Fork and the ramps.
  • Half signal: A half signal only controls one direction of travel. In Option B, there is a half signal to stop westbound Prices Fork Traffic at the 460 east off ramp, and a half stop light to control westbound Prices Fork traffic at the 460 west on ramp.
• Higher projected construction cost due to the separated Shared Use Path bridge.
• Eliminates the left turn from Route 460 eastbound to Prices Fork Road eastbound and requires a U-turn at Plantation Road.

Option C:
Provides a newly separated 10-foot-wide shared-use path bridge on the east side of Prices Fork Road for two-way bike and pedestrian travel. Significant NE ramp reconfiguration. The 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge remains.

Pros:

• No impacts to the existing bridge.
• Preserves the 9-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge.
• Has the most controlled pedestrian crossings of all 4 options.
• Safe option for bicycle and pedestrian users.

Cons:

• Adds a full signal, and a half signal along Prices Fork Road.
  • Full signal: A full signal will control east and westbound Prices Fork traffic at the 460 west off-ramp and 460 west on-ramp.
  • Half signal: A half signal only controls traffic traveling in one direction. In Option C, there is a half signal to stop westbound Prices Fork Traffic at the 460 east off-ramp.
• Right of way impacts to Virginia Tech property (Oak Lane).
• Eliminates the left turn from Route 460 ramp realignment.

FAQs: Please see the responses to the most frequently asked questions in the FAQ section on the right-hand side of this project page. If you do not see an answer to your question or you would like to submit a comment, please submit it using the "Questions and Comments" box below.