Jolly Pond Road Could Reopen By February

Jolly Pond Road Could Reopen By February

By Desiree Parker Wednesday, October 26, 2011

James City County supervisors gave the thumbs up Tuesday evening to start the process of reopening the closed section of Jolly Pond Road, which could happen as early as February.

In early 2009, the Virginia Department of Transportation barricaded part of Jolly Pond Road after a privately owned dam didn’t get a needed permit. Since then, getting from one side of the dam to the other requires a miles-long detour and has proven to be a challenge to residents, school bus drivers and others.

The county has been struggling to figure out ways to reopen the blocked part of the road, but Virginia dam regulations frustrated the efforts until recent state legislation passed that would allow the county to ask Virginia Department of Transportation to give up control of that part of the road. The Board started the process Tuesday evening by voting to petition VDOT to remove the road from the state system.

According to Development Management Manager Steven Hicks, the dam has been examined several times over the past several years by the county and by a contractor, and it has been found to be in good condition – that is, it hasn’t deteriorated.

The dam is now classified as having “low hazard potential,” defined by Department of Conservation and Recreation dam safety regulations as a structure that, should it fail, won’t result in loss of life or lots of economic damage.

Hicks said that, with the help of a contractor, the county has developed an emergency preparedness plan (required by regulation) for the area and is ready to implement a continual monitoring program.

Hicks reiterated that if the county takes over control of the road, it will not be responsible for the maintenance of the dam.

County Administrator Robert Middaugh said that when the road reopens, the dam still will not be in compliance with state dam regulations, but that the problem was between the state and the dam owner. He said it wasn’t likely that the state would take issue with the noncompliance, and the road was safe to drive on.

Several citizens who live on Jolly Pond Road attended the meeting to ask the Board to approve the measure so they could avoid the lengthy detour.

VDOT will need to hold a public hearing on the issue and then the Commonwealth Transportation Board will then have to consider it before the road can be reopened.

Hicks said after these steps are complete, the road could reopen as early as February. Board members were glad that a resolution was within sight. Chairman Mary Jones said, "I'm thrilled. It's about time."

Comments

+2 #3 iCARE! 2011-10-27 10:05

SOOOO VERY TRUE, Mary Lou & Observer, about the local hard copy media!! Also, take a few minutes, if you have a recent copy, and notice the ONE article on each page FULL of advertisements. Did you notice, also, how the cost jumped to $1?
PLEASE don't leave us, WYDaily...promi se?

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+4 #2 Observer 2011-10-26 18:54

The Gazette rarely attends meetings any longer. They watch bits and pieces of tape and make up stories. And I really mean make them up. The Daily Press has stopped covering this area, it has been over a year now since they closed their Williamsburg office.

The reporting of the WY Daily is very good, and fair. You can't say that about the Gazette, biased and sensationalized , it's close to being the National Enquirer.

And it is nice to see someone saying thank-you to local politicians.

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+9 #1 Mary Lou Clark 2011-10-26 10:12

Thank you WYDaily for keeping the public and residents informed. Where was the Virginia Gazette or the Daily Press last night at the Board of Supervisors meeting? As a resident I have endured this dam closure and it is not only a long detour but a safety hazard to the residents who may need emergency services. Our houses would burn down while we are waiting for fire trucks to get to us and people could die waiting for an ambulance to arrive. In addition, school buses are affected by this closure as well. Parents are driving extra miles to take their children to the new schools on Jolly Pond.We have been very patient with this "long process" and appreciate Del. Brenda Pogge and Supervisor Mary Jones' resolve in getting it this far. Now we only have to wait four more months to see if it is going to be re-opened. If it does open in February, it will have been closed to for three years! Our federal, state, and local government processes are too long and politically motivated. This dam closure is a prime example!

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