Instead of lane closures, flagmen and driving on the shoulders, the Virginia Department of Transportation is using a different approach for the Silverbrook Road-Ox Road intersection, closing a section of Silverbrook Road for over a month to speed up construction.
Cars accessing Ox Road from Silverbrook will have to detour through the adjacent neighborhood via Old Barrington Road, or find another route.
"They'll get it done and get out of there," said Steve Edwards, transportation administrator in Supervisor Elaine McConnell's (R-Springfield) office. "Trying to maintain the traffic flow, it would have prolonged the project."
Ryan Hall, VDOT spokesperson, said the detour availability made the road closure possible. If a detour wasn't available, VDOT would have used other means.
"The detour will be well marked. The police, fire department and schools have all been notified," Hall said.
Although the road closure wasn't well known fact around the Barrington neighborhood, Stephanie Cain, 13, and Nathan Fairbanks, 14, heard about it from their bus driver. The teens attend Hayfield Secondary School and will have to walk down to Old Barrington to catch the bus instead of on the corner, near their house.
"There's going to be a lot more traffic, more than we're used to," Stephanie said, as she and Nathan kicked the soccer ball in the street in front of their house.
CUT-THROUGH traffic may become an issue in the neighborhood. Steps were taken to address that, Edwards said.
"We're going to have extra police patrols. We've got a number of bus stops in there," he said.
The road widening project at the intersection of Silverbrook and Ox Road is currently underway with minimal traffic delays.
"We're rebuilding Silverbrook Road," Hall said.
Catherine Benavides wasn't sure how long the site has been dug up.
"This has been going on for a while. I'd just as soon have it closed and get it over with," she said.
"I guess there's more work than you think," said Lisa Slugg, whose front door opens to the construction site.
According to Edwards, a community meeting on the road closure took place on Feb. 24 at the West Springfield District station. None of the residents spoken to had heard about the meeting or the lane closure though.