HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Henrico County is gathering public input for planned improvements to Route 5, New Market Road, a heavily traveled corridor that many residents use daily for work, family visits, and recreation.
The county recently held its first public input meeting where more than 140 people attended to share their thoughts on needed improvements to the busy roadway.
"I have a home on the other end of this road where my daughter lives," said Lawrence Burke Sr., a local resident who frequently travels the route.
"The stores and the banking and whatever, so I'm on this road a lot and then you gain access to the highway here when you're going out of town," Burke said.
With increasing development in the area, residents like Burke and Mikaila Keller welcomed the county's initiative to study and improve the road.
"My son goes to daycare on this road. I live two minutes from here and I work five minutes up the road," Keller said.
The study combines data from a previous Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) study, current data collection efforts, and public suggestions to make changes to Route 5 and New Osborne Turnpike.
"We'll be looking at the safety and operational improvements," said Sudha Mudgade with Henrico County.
Mudgade explained that while the study began earlier this year and will continue through mid-2026, public participation is a key component of the planning process.
"We asked people to share what they thought were issues, what they thought were opportunities," Mudgade said.
At the meeting, residents marked areas on maps highlighting locations they believe need traffic lights, safer crossings for cyclists and pedestrians, and wider lanes.
"It's just, get in where you fit in and can you fit in," Keller said about congrestion.
"The largest of the concerns I would have is the widening, more access to lanes and stuff like that," Burke said.
While Henrico plans to hold additional public input meetings, some residents hope their feedback will lead to meaningful changes.
"It's good to say that you care but are you really going to do what you say or ask of us," Keller said.
Residents can continue to provide input through an online survey open until August 19. The survey can be found here.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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