The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold an informational meeting about a traffic and safety study of Cummings Street in Abingdon on Tuesday.
The drop-in meeting will run from 4-6 p.m. at the EO Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub, 300 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 20, in Abingdon.
This study is being conducted as part of the Project Pipeline program, which was created by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. The program is a performance-based planning program to identify cost-effective solutions to multimodal transportation needs in Virginia.
Cummings Street, or Virginia 75, is the main road into Abingdon from Interstate 81’s Exit 17 and sees heavy traffic.
The purpose of the study is to look at safety and congestion, and at how traffic moves on the road between I-81 and Bradley Street. It will also evaluate access through the area, such as where it is best from a safety standpoint for vehicles to turn, according to Michelle Earl, communications manager for VDOT’s Bristol District.
According to background information included with the study, traffic data collected over five years, 2020-2024, revealed a pattern of left-turn and rear-end collisions at the intersection of Cook and Cummings streets. Left-turn collisions also occur at multiple driveways between Cook Street and I-81, the study states. There were a total of 135 crashes on that stretch of Cummings during that period, the study states.
Also, the southbound I-81 off-ramp backs up onto the highway during peak periods.
Residents can go online to review the study information and find the survey link. The survey will remain open through Feb. 27.
This is the second time VDOT has sought input from the public for the study. The first public engagement was held in spring 2025, when 440 people were involved. The second phase is meant to obtain input on the alternatives under consideration to address the issues revealed, according to a VDOT news release.
After the study, Abingdon officials may apply for money for improvements through the Smart Scale program. The latest round of pre-applications will be accepted in March, Earl said.
“We’ll work with the towns and localities through July to refine those pre-applications. In early 2027, the draft recommended funding scenario for Smart Scale statewide will be presented, and the CTB will approve the final scenario in their June meeting. Each July, VDOT’s Six-Year Improvement Plan is adopted,” she wrote in an email.
Comments about the study can be mailed to Blake Ailor, Bristol District planner, 2111 Bonham Road, Bristol, VA 24201, or emailed to Blake.Ailor@vdot.virginia.gov. Comments will be accepted until Feb. 27.