Traffic Alert: Route 220 intersection improvements at Bonbrook Mill Road begin in Franklin County

SALEM – A project to improve safety at the intersection of Route 220 (Virgil H Goode Highway) and Route 635 (Bonbrook Milll Road) is underway in Franklin County. This intersection is located near the bottom of a steep grade where drivers turning left onto southbound Route 220 must accelerate and merge into oncoming traffic.

The project will convert the crossover at the intersection to an unsignalized Continuous Green-T. This innovative intersection design will add a dedicated 750-foot lane in the median to provide vehicles turning left from Bonbrook Mill Road onto southbound Route 220 more space to accelerate and merge safely. The project also includes constructing raised concrete median areas to help channel traffic turning left out of Bonbrook Mill Road into the new acceleration lane and traffic turning left from southbound Route 220 onto Bonbrook Mill Road.

Currently, lane closures exist outside of peak travel times for shoulder widening on Route 220.

Weather permitting, on Wednesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. the Bonbrook Mill Road crossover will close and a signed detour will be in place for drivers who typically turn left from Bonbrook Mill Road onto Route 220 southbound. Southbound Route 220 drivers who typically turn left onto Bonbrook Mill Road will also have a detour. These detours will be in place through the duration of the project.

In addition, lane closures and flagging operations are possible between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drivers should pay attention to signs and message boards.

Work is expected to be completed by the end of October, weather permitting.

These improvements are part of a larger project to increase efficiency and create shorter wait times at traffic signals along the Route 220 corridor in the City of Roanoke and the counties of Roanoke, Franklin and Henry. The resulting improvement in operations is similar to widening Route 220 from four lanes to six lanes, but at a fraction of the cost. Reducing stop and go traffic also enhances safety. Crashes may be reduced by approximately 15-20 percent.  

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