JAMES CITY COUNTY — The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), alongside its state and regional partners, celebrated the Skiffes Creek Connector Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 16.
According to a statement made by James City County, the Skiffes Creek Connector Project includes the construction of a one-mile, two-lane roadway extension of the existing Green Mount Parkway, two new bridges, expanded turn lanes, and the addition of new traffic signals at intersections with Route 60 (Pocahontas Trail) and Route 143 (Merrimac Trail).
The project also expands pedestrian access to an existing bus stop along eastbound Route 60 near its intersection with Green Mount Parkway.
This project provides another travel option between Routes 143 and 60. The new roadway is also designed to provide congestion relief on local roads, improve safety and emergency evacuation, and streamline the movement of goods along the two primary routes.
James City County also reports this project will also reduce and redirect industrial truck traffic away from James River Elementary School, reduce traffic in the Lee Hall community in Newport News, and provide additional access to Fort Eustis and Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.
Commercial trucks servicing businesses such as the Walmart Distribution Center, Haynes Distribution Center, Carter Machinery, Ball Metal Beverage Packing, and others nearby, now have a faster and safer route option to access Interstate 64 as they travel toward Virginia’s ports and their final destinations, according to the county. The new route removes the need for these trucks to travel miles out of the way at low speeds through congested residential areas and school zones and provides a more direct route.
The new roadway — built as part of the Skiffes Creek Connector Project and known as Green Mount Parkway (Route 774) — opened to traffic on Nov. 17.
For more information please visit the Virginia Department of Transportation’s official page on the project.
