Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

For the next month, some Lunenburg County residents will have to adjust their route to and from home. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) closed down a portion of Route 682 (Arvin Store Road) on Tuesday, Sept. 3 to start repairs on the bridge over Tussekiah Creek. When asked for a timeline, VDOT officials said the work should be finished by Thursday, Oct. 31, barring any major weather issues. 

So why is the work needed? VDOT officials told The Dispatch this is happening to protect the bridge’s “structural integrity”. Work crews set up detour signs and notifications earlier this week. As far as what that detour looks like? VDOT officials say northbound traffic will need to travel south on Route 682 (Arvin Store Road), turn right onto Route 40 (Lunenburg County Road), right onto Route 626 (Double Bridges Road) and then right again to get back onto Arvin Store Road. 

Southbound traffic will need to travel north on Route 682 (Arvin Store Road), turn left onto Route 626 (Double Bridges Road), left onto Route 40 (Lunenburg County Road) and left onto Route 682 (Arvin Store Road) during construction. 

“VDOT will set up barricades near the bridge,” said Lorraine Blackwell, VDOT’s Communications Manager for the Richmond District, of which Lunenburg County is part. “Citizens will have access to their homes at all times and no driveways will be blocked off.” 

How was Arvin Store Road chosen?

The Commonwealth of Virginia uses a data-driven approach called Smart (System for the Management and Allocation of Resources for Transportation) scale to prioritize which transportation projects will benefit taxpayers most. The key factors used in VDOT’s Smart Scale evaluation process include improvement to safety, congestion reduction, accessibility, land use, economic development, and environmental impact. 

Local governments and planning organizations submit projects for VDOT to score based on this criteria. The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) selects which projects are to be included in a six-year improvement program. 

Citizens with questions for VDOT about the project on Route 682 (Arvine Store Road) at Tussekiah Creek can reach the organization’s customer service center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) or visit VDOT. Virginia.Gov.