Orange Avenue Roadway Improvement Projects

Find out about the proposed intersection improvements to Orange Avenue (Route 460) in the City of Roanoke on Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 5-7 PM at Bonsack Elementary School (5437 Crumpacker Dr. Roanoke, VA 24019).

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will also hold a public hearing on two sections of Route 460 at the same time and location as the City’s hearing. This project entails improving traffic flow and safety by reconfiguring multiple intersections on Orange Avenue as restricted crossing U-turns (RCUT) and thru-cuts.
An RCUT would redirect traffic that currently turns left onto Orange Avenue from a side street to make a right turn and proceed to make a U-turn. A thru-cut would redirect side street through traffic to turn left or right at the signal and make a U-turn.
The project starts at Hickory Woods Drive and extends about 1.1 miles east. This project includes reconfiguring Orange Avenue’s intersections as follows:
•RCUT at Hickory Woods Drive
•RCUT at Seible Drive NE
•RCUT at the crossover located 0.1 mile east of Seibel Drive NE
•Thru-cut at King Street
•RCUT at Lynn Brae Drive
•RCUT at Patrick Road NE
•Thru-cut at Mexico Way and Blue Hills Drive NE
•RCUT at Blue Hills Village Drive

City of Roanoke residents looking to access the public hearing site via Valley Metro will need to contact the City Engineering Division at 540-853-5201 at least 10 days before the public hearing for alternate group transportation arrangements. Give your written or oral comments at the hearing or submit them by
September 1, 2024, to Josephus Johnson-Koroma, Project Manager, City of Roanoke, 215 Church Avenue S.W. Room 350, Roanoke, VA 24011. You may also email your comments to josephus.johnson-koroma@roanokeva.gov. Please reference “Orange Avenue Intersection Improvements” in the subject heading.

Find out about a project to improve traffic flow and enhance safety on the two-mile section of Orange Avenue (Route 460) that starts just east of Gainsboro Road NW and extends to just east of 24th Street NE. This project involves modifying several intersections by constructing turn lanes and adding sidewalks, curb ramps, pedestrain siglans, and crosswalks.

• Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
• Time: 5:00-7:00PM
• Location: Berglund Hall, Bergulnd Center, 710 Williamson Road NE, Roanoke VA

The project also includes the following:

• Improving the off-ramps from southbound -581 onto Orange Avenue and adding a signal to the off-ramp onto westbound Orange Avenue
• Improving the northbound I-581 ramps onto and from westbound Orange Avenue
• Providing a second turn lane from the northbound I-581 off-ramp to eastbound Orange Avenue with an upgraded signal and new turn lanes to and from Williamson Road
• Adding a left tum lane from northbound Williamson Road onto Carver Avenue
• Creating dedicated left turn lanes from Plantation Road and Kimball Avenue onto Orange Avenue and extending the left turn lane from westbound Orange Avenue onto Kimball Avenue
• Modifying the 11th Street NE intersection so that drivers who currently turn left or proceed straight across Orange Avenue will tum right and use an alternative side street or make a U-turn at the next available crossover or signal
• Closing three median crossovers between 13th Street NE and 20th Street NE
• Modifying the intersections at Rhodes Avenue, Walton Street and 20th Street NE so drivers can only make right tums onto Orange Avenue
• Redirecting left tums from westbound Orange Avenue onto Rhodes Avenue to use alternate side streets or make a U-turn
• Adding a second left tun lane from northbound and from southbound 13th Street NE to Orange Avenue
• Constructing a cul-de-sac at Archbold Avenue's intersection with 13th Street NE and extending Archbold Avenue 0.16 mile from 20th Street NE to 24th Street NE
• Adding a left tum lane on westbound Orange Avenue 500 feet west of 20th Street NE to accommodate U-turns
• Redirecting Gus Nicks Boulevard traffic that currently drives straight across
• Orange Avenue to tumn right or left and make a U-tum or use an altenative side street
• Redirecting left tums onto or from Orange Avenue at 24th Street NE to use an alternative side street

The hearing will be held in an “open-house” format and VDOT representatives will be present o answer questions. Property impact information, relocation assistance policies and tentative construction schedules are available for your review at the above address and will be available at the public hearing.

Give your written or oral comments at the hearing or submit them by November 28, 2025, to Phil Hammack, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 731 Harrison Avenue, Salem, VA 24153. You may also email your comments to Phillp.Hammack@vdot.virginia.qov. Please reference “VDOT Orange Avenue Corridor Improvement” in the subject heading.