The Virginia Department of Transportation announced on March 23 that construction will soon start on a project to convert the intersection of Route 13 (Lankford Highway) and Daugherty Road (Route 648) in Accomack County into a restricted crossing U-turn, or RCUT, intersection.
This project aims to improve safety and traffic flow at an intersection identified as having a high frequency and severity of crashes. The changes are expected to reduce conflict points for vehicles, lower the risk of head-on collisions, and make the intersection more efficient by creating two one-way streets with increased capacity.
The new design will eliminate left turns from Daugherty Road onto Route 13. Instead, drivers from Daugherty Road will turn right onto Route 13 before making a U-turn at designated median openings. Construction plans include adding northbound and southbound U-turn lanes as well as shoulder extensions—also known as bulb-outs—on both sides of Route 13 to help larger vehicles complete U-turns safely. The $4.29 million contract was awarded to Branscome Operating, LLC in January, with completion expected in early 2027. All work is subject to weather conditions and scheduling changes.
During construction, motorists should expect lane and shoulder closures near the intersection along with occasional full closures accompanied by signed detours.
According to the official website, the Virginia Department of Transportation is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating roads, bridges, and tunnels across Virginia to ensure safe transportation systems. The agency manages one of the largest state highway networks in the country with tens of thousands of lane-miles statewide according to its official site. VDOT also provides services such as highway maintenance and traffic management through tools like Virginia 511 according to its official website.
Virginia Department of Transportation oversees planning, construction, and maintenance efforts for roadways throughout the state according to its official website. Its headquarters are located at 1221 East Broad Street in Richmond according to its official site.
