New walking & biking path coming to Caroline with $26 million Ladysmith Rd. project

Image courtesy of VDOT

Caroline County is set to get a new paved path for pedestrians and bicyclists as part of the $26.6 million Ladysmith Road widening project.

VDOT and Caroline County are partnering to widen Ladysmith Road to have four travel lanes between I-95 and just west of Route 1, a distance of approximately 0.85 miles, the state’s transportation department said in an announcement.

A raised median will be constructed to separate eastbound and westbound travel lanes to allow for improved movement through the corridor. The widening will create room for dual left-turn lanes for eastbound and westbound traffic at the Route 1 intersection approach, an improvement aimed at reducing delays for motorists waiting to turn at that traffic signal. And dedicated right-turn lanes will also be built for Ladysmith Road traffic approaching Route 1.

The project's main objectives are to reduce current and future congestion in the Ladysmith area by providing more capacity for travelers, and to promote economic development at this gateway entrance to Caroline, VDOT said.

And one draw to the community may be the new 10-foot wide, paved shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists, which will be built along the eastbound lanes of Ladysmith Road on the southern side of the road.

To further improve accommodations for non-vehicle traffic, a 5-foot-wide sidewalk will be added on the northern side of the road, along the westbound lanes, and crosswalks and new traffic signal equipment will be installed to make pedestrian crossings easier.

Although Ladysmith Rd will remain open to traffic during construction, VDOT said periodic single lane closures and temporary traffic shifts will be required at times.

The groundbreaking was held on February 16, and the project is slated for completion in May 2024.

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