When reading a local newspaper: "The intersection of Cambria at Depot Street in Christiansburg is scheduled to close at 8 tonight (Thursday) to make repairs to the railroad crossing. The intersection is expected to be closed until 2 a.m., according to a news release from VDOT. Detour signs will be in place to direct drivers around the closure."
Now when this oddly configured and dangerous yet highly traveled intersection is closed (as it was for an extended period of time to construct major crossing and drainage changes a few ago), it is a big deal as the detours aren't a block or two. This intersection can be a real choke point cutting the east and north parts of Christiansburg, impacting the Central Business District, Historic Cambria businesses, public school buses and even the regional mall area.
So the hoopla for this week's closing? Although done at night to minimize any impacts, the notice was short enough to figure most people weren't aware of it anyway.
Was the scheduled work to address the issues that became apparent after recent rains and significant urban flooding, flooding that FEMA got involved in?
Nah, the Town was painting. The new pedestrian crosswalk and parking stripes. The parking that has you backing out into oncoming traffic across both lanes of traffic.
There was no activity on the rail crossing or anything that indicated the problems the new sidewalk has created for drains and waterflow was being corrected or to ensure storm pipes were still clear and unblocked.
Thank goodness road painting in Christiansburg doesn't routinely completely close roads to get the job done.