Horntown Road Improvements

A rural yet well-traveled road in Accomack County, VA, is safer and easier to traverse, thanks to a newly-completed widening project.

Horntown Road, also known as Rt. 709, serves as an east-west shortcut for residents along the Eastern Shore, including many NASA employees who work at the Wallops Flight Facility, a rocket launch and research site near Chincoteague, VA.

Branch Civil served as General Contractor for the project, which widened a nearly 4-mile portion of Rt. 709 from Lankford Highway to Fleming Road.  The existing two, eight-foot travel lanes were widened to 11-foot lanes with six-foot graded shoulders.  The additional shoulder width was also used to construct a 2-foot paved bicycle path along the entire length of the project.

Crews also excavated new storm water management ponds and installed new storm drains.  The alignment of the road was changed slightly and the stretch was completely repaved.

Despite detours being necessary during the construction, local residents expressed their delight with the improvements, see the project not as an inconvenience, but rather as a good investment in their community.