Speed Limit Change Takes Effect On Other Parts of Route 151

This is great news! Now we just need a couple of turning lanes and we should be good- at least for awhile.

We keep getting closer to what 151 should be. But, with all the blind spots and driveways from Nellysford to Rt. 250 in Albemarle. 45 is the way to go with the whole thing if we don’t want people to die.
A few days ago, I pulled out of my driveway on 151 traveled 50 or less feet and a big blue tractor trailer pulled out to pass a car. With the big chrome grill in my face, I was off the road and into the ditch. I’m glad there was a ditch to go in! After I got home, I checked on my life insurance policy. 151 is like playing the lottery with your life. The chances of loosing with the odds that VDOT has set up are really good. Blind intersections, high speed limits, lots of passing lanes, businesses everywhere, tourists that don’t know the road and truckers that think they know it all too well. Slow going sucks, bone crushing death sucks more.

Ok if you only went 50 feet and saw the truck passing why didn’t you see it coming before you pulled out of your driveway? Just a question!

I think we already have 45 speed limits where we need them. We do not need all of 151 posted as 45mph. I have notice more cars on Adial Road, making it more dangerous since the speed limit was changed. Also people (cars) making up for lost time going faster on route 664 to Wintergreen and Adial Road where there is no speed limit posted but one at the end of the road near the Nellysford side. Is anyone going to address this as well? I think they will not.

I do not want any more people to get hurt or killed either, but I have notice that the traffic is worst. Because the traffic is closer together (during the week) with few breaks, so people will pull out in front of you more quickly. During the week, at the school it is very hard to pull out onto 151 because of the long line of traffic. Turning into the old school road vehicles are stopped on 151 waiting to turn in to dump their trash, at times their could be as many as six cars stopped on 151. What will it be like when ski season starts if all of 151 is 45 mph?

A couple of times on Saturdays I would be going to Waynesboro and in the front of the Page House I would have cars pass me on my left side in the turning lane. They have done it to me and I have seen it done to other cars. I have also seen cars that are turning onto Greenfield Road with no signal light on or whip out of Ashley in front of a car that they can see coming and then stop to turn into Greenfield Road. I see cars pass stopped school buses with their stop signs out and red light flashing and kids getting off the bus because they do not pay attention or they just do not care!

With this said, I will end with; it not the speed of the vehicles, it is in most part people who fall asleep or who do not pay attention to what they are doing. If you have 45 mph speed limits from route 250 to the end of Nellysford, we will have more people passing because the forth or five car behind the car doing 45mph will be going 40 mph.

We agree that it may not be practical for all parts of 151 to be reduced to 45 MPH, and it’s not been reduced to 45 MPH except from just north of Bland Wade Road south into Nellysford, Virginia. Other sections still remain 55 MPH. We commend the BOS for taking their action to this point. It is a much needed measure to regain some control of the situation.

As for John’s earlier comment about trucks, he’s hit the nail precisely on the head. While authorities have done a fairly good job at enforcing speed laws against passenger cars over the past year, enforcement against semi trucks has been non-existent (except on the Albemarle end where they have aggressively been enforcing) and there is zero enforcement after 11 PM at night when as many as 40-60 trucks within 2-3 hours move down 151 at speeds many times in excess of 65 MPH. Not to mention the continual jake braking all along the roadway.

Unfortunately, as tragic as last year’s wrecks were, residents along 151 have not seen what can be described as a catastrophic accident yet. But, with an average of 570+ semi rigs per day using a roadway never designed to handle that kind of traffic in addition to all of the regular passenger cars, it is only a matter of time. Once a tanker carrying substances like chlorine, gasoline, or other dangerous substances finally wrecks, it will affect hundreds depending on conditions at the time of the accident.
P-151

I drive Rt. 151 four days a week, twice a day between Dick Woods Road and Rt. 664 and I agree with the 45 MPH speed limit from Bland Wade Road to Rt. 6. Other than this stretch of highway I feel the slower speed limit causes cases of following too closely and passing when it is not safe. As long as people don’t pay attention and don’t stay awake there will be accidents, regardless of the speed limit. Another problem I have noticed are people slowing down but not stopping at stop signs (entering 151) from Chapel Hollow Rd., Rt. 6 (River Rd.), Lodebar and Monocan Drive. I see/hear a lot of comments about the “trucks” on Rt. 151. I know the one tragic accident was caused by a box truck but how many other accidents involved a “truck”?

That’s good news. Now, can they do something about Route 29 in Lovingston? There have been at least 4 accidents in the last two weeks within a mile of the stoplight. Pay attention, people! These accidents were avoidable!