Supervisors in Prince Edward County recently continued discussing the need for a reduced speed limit on Abilene Road (Route 604).

Prior to their Nov. 8 meeting, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Resident Engineer Scot Shippee, Hampden District Supervisor Dr. Odessa Pride, County Administrator Wade Bartlett and Buffalo District Supervisor C. R. “Bob” Timmons Jr. went on a “ride-along” down Route 604 with a VDOT district traffic engineer to further examine specific concerns. Pride said they drove along Abilene Road to the Charlotte County line where it intersects Route 671.

“At the conclusion of the ride-along, our district traffic engineer agreed to take another look at the request and discuss it with his staff, but there have been no additional conclusions or recommendations made at this point,” Shippee said.

“We’re going to stay on your case,” Timmons told Shippee.

Pride agreed, adding, “Speed is still a major concern.”

Following the meeting, Pride said supervisors are looking at possibly reducing the speed down to 45 mph to as far as Allen Farm Road.

One of the main concerns she has is the road’s shoulders not being wide enough. Pride said her constituents “are very much concerned about the shoulders of the road,” because if someone is speeding, they could drive over the shoulder into a ditch.

Shippee said other concerns discussed during the ride-along included road geometry, driver behavior and opportunities for increased enforcement.

“We were looking at possibly reducing the speed limits because of the traffic,” Pride said, noting that a lot of people speed through the area. “When VDOT went out, they could see the concerns as well.”

However, Pride said she has not heard anything from VDOT since then.

Shippee said a conclusion might be expected around mid-December.

Timmons said he hopes to hear of a conclusion during the board’s Dec. 13 meeting.