With Southern Gap High School preparing to welcome students from across Buchanan County, county officials are considering traffic safety measures, including a study of a roundabout near the school and pursuing an emergency closure of Little Prater Road.
Both issues were discussed during the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors’ Aug. 3 meeting as officials considered how traffic patterns could change with students, parents, school employees and buses traveling to Southern Gap.
Rocklick supervisor Craig Stiltner raised concerns about traffic entering and leaving the Southern Gap area and asked VDOT representative Erica Miller about the possibility of constructing a roundabout atop Lovers Gap Road.
“I think we need to really, really consider doing a roundabout,” Stiltner said.
Stiltner asked officials to assess the project’s potential cost and feasibility, saying he believes a roundabout could provide a safer way to move vehicles through the area and address difficulties motorists face when merging and turning.
“I’m a firm believer in roundabouts,” Stiltner said.
Miller said the idea could be considered but noted there would likely be challenges and details to work through.
Buchanan County Sheriff Allen Boyd told Miller he had submitted a letter requesting that the speed limit in the area be reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph, a move discussed as a possible short-term safety measure while longer-term improvements are explored.
Stiltner then moved to send a formal request to VDOT for a study of the area. North Grundy supervisor Lee Dotson seconded the motion, and the board unanimously approved it.
The conversation then shifted to Little Prater Road, a narrow route supervisors fear could see additional traffic from motorists traveling to and from Southern Gap.
Knox supervisor Trey Adkins asked whether the county could temporarily close the road on an emergency basis before school begins.
Adkins said South Grundy supervisor Roger Rife has pushed for improvements to Little Prater Road for years. Still, issues, including obtaining the property needed for widening, have prevented the work from moving forward.
“It’s not for the lack of Mr. Rife trying to fix the road,” Adkins said. “But the fact of the matter is, we have a consolidated school.”
Adkins said portions of Little Prater Road essentially narrow to one lane, making it difficult for vehicles traveling in opposite directions to pass safely.
He said the possibility of inexperienced teenage drivers using the route makes the situation particularly concerning.
“Sixteen-year-old kids are not the best drivers, obviously,” Adkins said, adding that some adults aren’t either.
“The question is, can we close that road on an emergency basis until Mr. Rife and this board can figure out how to fix the road, make it safe for those kids or teachers or whoever wants to use it in the future?” Adkins said.
Rife, who has lived on Little Prater for around 60 years and has previously raised concerns about the road, agreed that something needs to be done.
He told the board he has personally seen vehicles leave the roadway and enter the creek, and said there are locations where two vehicles cannot safely pass.
Rife said development on the mountain has already brought additional vehicles onto the road, and the opening of Southern Gap High School could add another concern.
“I really do worry about these young kids,” Rife said.
Rife, who has experience teaching young drivers as a driver’s education teacher in the Buchanan County Public School system, said he has seen firsthand the potentially devastating consequences of crashes involving inexperienced motorists.
Following the discussion, Adkins made a motion authorizing board attorney Lee Moise to begin working toward an emergency closure of Little Prater Road, to schedule a public hearing if needed, and to report back to the board on the actions taken.
Dotson seconded the motion, and the board unanimously approved it.
