HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Drivers in Glen Allen say a busy intersection at Nuckols Road and Fords Country Lane has become a dangerous bottleneck — and a five-year crash history backs them up.
The intersection, which sits along the main thoroughfare to the Westside Landfill, has seen 13 crashes over the past five years: three in 2025, two in 2024, four in 2023, one in 2022, and two in 2021. The most recent crash happened this past Tuesday, when a dump truck collided with a sedan while attempting a left turn.
Sam Sharma, who drives through the intersection daily, said the backup is a constant problem.
"People are waiting for people to let them through to make either a left or right turn onto Nuckols," Sharma said.
Sharma said the congestion extends well beyond rush hour, with large trucks frequently blocking the road and creating hazardous conditions for other drivers.
"I've seen people trying to pull out with people going up and down on Nuckols, and it's pretty dangerous sometimes," Sharma said.
Mark Shurland, a four-year Henrico resident, said the problem is hard to miss.
"Just a minute ago there was an 18-wheeler blocking the whole intersection and nobody could go through, so, it can be a little frustrating sometimes," Shurland said. "You're going to have someone trying to shoot across, and then an accident can happen and does happen."
Both drivers say the fix is straightforward: install a traffic signal.
"There is no light here," Sharma said.
"It would be nice to just have a light here to let people out so you don't have to wait here forever," Shurland said.
But Henrico Deputy County Manager for Community Operations Steve Yob said a traffic signal isn't a simple solution. He says a 2025 traffic study found the intersection does not meet the standard required for a signal to be installed.
According to preliminary findings from that study, a signal can only be recommended if traffic volume reaches 150 vehicles per hour within a four-hour window. The Nuckols Road and Fords Country Lane intersection averaged just 30 vehicles per hour, peaking at 140.
Yob said adding a signal could also worsen existing backups nearby.
"I-295 coming northbound onto Nuckols Road north already backs up from Hickory Park Drive to the interchange ... if we put another traffic signal closer to the interstate, it's going to make that problem that much worse," Yob said.
Instead, the county is weighing other options, including restricting left turns out of Fords Country Lane.
Under one scenario, drivers would be redirected to a nearby signal.
"You would have to go up one street, one traffic signal, toward Hickory Park and make a U-turn at Hickory Park," Yob said.
Yob cautioned that option would not be a quick fix. Adding a U-turn would require significant infrastructure changes, including widening the road, moving sidewalks and relocating utility poles. While engineers continue to explore solutions, Yob is asking drivers to use caution when making left turns at the intersection.
Sharma said she hopes a resolution comes soon.
"One crash is enough. Every single thing is pointing towards us doing something different that's going to help alleviate the traffic, the congestion," Sharma said. "Hopefully this will be resolved before we have another one."
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