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Editorial
Safety first!
The subject of Route 211, specifically whether to extend the dual lanes from Washington to Sperryville, has been a favorite topic of discussion both in this newspaper and around the county for the past few months. We’ve heard the many arguments and reasonings put forth by earnest people on both sides of the issue.
As the Virginia Department of Transportation weighs the factors for and against the project, we urge them to keep safety at the top of the list.
Sure, money is important. But the money has been allocated to VDOT, and will be spent whether it’s used for Route 211 or another project in another locality. Rappahannock can’t have it transferred to another need. It is primary road money, nothing else.
The scenic beauty of Rappahannock is also important. But the four-lane stretch of Route 211 east of Washington — while not a meandering country lane — is certainly not a blot on the landscape.
Yes, people follow roads, and development is the result. But development is coming, with or without improved roads. It is true that the eastern end of the county is more developed than the west end. But we would argue that has more to do with its proximity to the population and business centers of Northern Virginia than it does with Route 211 having four lanes through Amiss ville. It’s a matter of distance as much as improved access.
And we doubt that many truckers are going to base their decision to traverse Rappahannock on whether another four miles of Route 211 becomes a divided highway. In any case, the trucks are already using the road.
At this point, there is one wild card in the hand. When the Inland Port is completed outside Front Royal, will more truck traffic use Route 211 en route to Charlottesville and Richmond? No one seems to have the answer to that question. It’s possible, however, that the answer is no. If the purpose of the Inland Port is to distribute goods from the Port of Hampton Roads to points west, it would make no sense to send them by rail to Front Royal and then truck them to Charlottesville or Richmond. They would be loaded directly on trucks at Hampton Roads and shipped to their destination.
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