The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va., Scott Shenk column [The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.]

Oct. 21--THE STATE'S first-of-its-kind rest area ad and sponsorship campaign has been in place for two years, and it seems to be doing what it was designed to do.

So instead of costing the state money, the interstate rest areas and welcome centers are bringing in some cash, not losing it.

This year, the program grossed nearly $5 million. After expenses, almost $850,000 went to the Virginia Department of Transportation, according to a report from the highway department. Last year, VDOT took in nearly $790,000.

That money is a drop in the overall Virginia transportation budget bucket. But, as any competent accountant would tell you, making money is better than losing money. Even if you have to look at that insurance gecko on rest area signage.

There are other bonuses, like better vending options and upgraded digital media.

You can see the upgrades--with such niceties as the touch-screen kiosks--at the welcome center near the State Route 3 exit.

Switching gears, it's that time of year again--deer season.

Be on alert the next few months as deer are more active in the fall and winter--prime mating and hunting seasons.

Experts say that if a collision seems unavoidable, don't swerve. Hit the brakes and brace for impact. That goes for all animals in the road, really.

You may not want to do it, but hitting an animal seems preferable to swerving and hitting another car.

Dear Scott: Does Spotsylvania County have plans in place for the Smith Station Road/Courthouse Road intersection?

Between 6 and 7 p.m. on weekdays, traffic on the Food Lion side of Smith Station Road backs up, sometimes as far as Fox Point subdivision. Sometimes it takes as long as 10-15 minutes to get through this intersection.

Based on my observations, an easy, inexpensive fix would be to change the little-used right-turn-only lane to a combination right-turn and through lane, and change the combination left turn and through lane to left turn only so that more traffic gets through on each green light.

Another part of the problem is drivers near the Food Lion and Courtland High School entrances frequently sit there and allow numerous vehicles to turn out in front of them, at the expense of the drivers behind them.

Are there any plans to do something about this intersection?

--Michelle Gibson, Spotsylvania

VDOT'sKelly Hannon says the highway department has a $1.7 million project in the works.

It will add a lane and lengthen the left-turn lane on the northbound approach to Courthouse Road. The work will create separate lanes for traffic going through or turning left or right at the intersection.

Hannon says the changes should drastically shorten the backups on Smith Station Road.

As part of the project, VDOT also will move the signal poles from the median, which should be a safety improvement.

The project is still in the design phase, and VDOT has to acquire right-of-way.

Construction should start in mid-2015 and finish up in December 2016.

Hope you didn't expect something to be done soon--in the transportation business, things move at a glacial pace.

Scott Shenk: 540/374-5436

[email protected]

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