Overview
Timmons Group developed plans for improvements to 11.6 miles of U.S. Route 17 resulting in a 4-lane divided highway on a new alignment from the North Carolina State Line to Route 104 (Dominion Boulevard).
Project Highlights
- The old 2-lane roadway ran parallel to the Dismal Swamp Canal, owned and controlledby the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Potential impacts to the Canal and adjacentwetlands precluded widening the roadway on its existing alignment.
- The 109,000-acre Great Dismal Swamp provides habitat and refuge to roughly 350 blackbears. A study by Virginia Tech was performed to help determine where these bearstend to cross Route 17 and wildlife crossings were incorporated into the final projectdesign.
- The design of storm drainage and stormwater management facilities was a challenge dueto the extremely flat (zero-percent) grades, combined with the prohibition of directingany additional stormwater towards the Dismal Swamp Canal.
- Route 17 serves a regional safety function by providing an alternate hurricane emergencyevacuation route for the Outer Banks. It is estimated that 80% of the traffic on Route 17is non-local and 24% of the traffic is trucks.
- Old Route 17 was left in place and continues to provide access to local property ownersas well as new nature trails and recreational facilities along the Dismal Swamp Canal.
- In 2004, the project received the Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative award from the FederalHighway Administration for protecting wildlife and preserving the Great Dismal Swampecosystem.
- In 2007, the project received an Engineering Excellence Award from ACEC – Virginia.
