Dry River Road, situated behind Marshall’s Distribution Center, Shickel Corporation, and Perdue, connects the Town of Bridgewater with Route 257 heading west of Dayton and into Montezuma, and is lined with commercial, agricultural, and residential properties. This is a heavily traveled road for folks with a variety of transportation needs: vehicles, big rigs, buggies, tractors, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Though the speed limit is only 25 mph, it can prove quite dangerous with such heavy traffic on a “commute” route.

Enter the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). They — more specifically, the Commonwealth Transportation Board — announced that Bridgewater will receive $944,114 in Revenue Sharing funding for the construction project. $700,000 will be used for sidewalks and drainage improvements, and the rest will be used for paving Dry River Road, plus some other streets in town, such as Main Street and Dinkel Avenue. Construction is scheduled to begin within two years.

PLUS A POSSIBLE BYPASS TO COME…

Bridgewater residents may also benefit from a bypass to relieve traffic from tractor trailers soon. The Bridgewater Town Council recently approved an application for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to help fund this project, which would connect Route 257 with Route 42 (aka Main Street). The TIGER program began in 2009 due to the Great Recession. Only 10% of applicants receive funding, though. However, Bridgewater plans to apply yearly in pursuit of funding.