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ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY/SMITHFIELD — Crews with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have begun construction on Grace Street in the town of Smithfield to address roadway drainage, repair and replace damaged curb and gutter, repair sidewalks and entrances, and make other needed improvements. This work involves removal of some trees adjacent to the sidewalk within the right of way. These repairs are the first phase of a two-phase approach to fully rehabilitate Grace Street between Main Street and North Church Street. The second phase, focusing on the pavement rehabilitation, will be scheduled at a later date and will involve the full depth reclamation (FDR) process to rehabilitate the roadway’s driving surface.
Improvements included within this first phase of the project will primarily focus on addressing the drainage issues and will take place in sections on Grace Street between Main Street and Institute Street, as well as on James Street between Grace Street and Washington Street. Specific tasks include replacement of the existing concrete curb and gutter to correct the slope of damaged and sunken sections, placement of eight new drainage structures and installation of new drainage pipe to increase drainage capacity, and repair of damaged sidewalks and entrances within the right of way.
During construction, motorists can expect potential delays, particularly during peak travel times, as intermittent daytime lane closures under flagger control will be in place on Grace and James Streets, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Daytime street parking adjacent to project sites may be temporarily limited during specific operations. A short-term full closure for through traffic will be necessary toward the end of the work to allow for the final placement of new drainage pipe across Grace Street, with a signed detour in place. Access to private and business properties will be maintained at all times, with all work performed within the existing right of way.
This first phase of the work is estimated to be completed by early 2025. All work is weather-dependent, and the schedule is subject to change.
While pavement rehabilitation on Grace Street was initially scheduled for this past summer, VDOT delayed this work until crews could first proactively address these critical drainage and structure repairs that were necessary to ensure the final delivery of a high-quality, long-lasting roadway product for the community.
VDOT is currently defining the scope and project design plans for the second phase of this work and will advertise and execute a contract for the full surface rehabilitation of Grace Street using the innovative and cost-effective FDR process. To allow for the design and procurement processes necessary for this phase, this work is estimated to begin as early as 2026.
FDR is an innovative roadway reconstruction technique that rehabilitates and restores the service life of the pavement structure while incorporating recycled material from the existing roadway. Using this process, the existing pavement foundation is pulverized and mixed with a stabilizing agent on-site and then recompacted into a base layer for the new roadway, over which new asphalt layers are placed for a smooth and stable driving surface. FDR extends the life of the roadway, improves the durability of the road base, and provides time and cost savings by reusing the roadway material already available on-site.
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