My two cents on traffic-related topics

Columnist James Clements has nothing to worry about in regard to the Route 729-U.S. 522 bypass (“Western loop road may bring traffic relief, but it also raises questions,” Monday).

Trust me, Baby Jim’s will not suffer. We need this bypass, and the sooner the better. I can only imagine what it is like to be stuck in traffic on the Beltway, only to come here and get stuck in traffic again in Culpeper. Baby Jim’s is closed by the time commuters get back here. I put concern on the local officials who pushed for growth without considering the impact of population vs. resources.

In regard to Jim Calhoun’s letter Saturday (“What’s the holdup with Bus. 29 road-widening?”), project supervisor Jim Askew is absolutely correct in his assessment of the project in front of Target (see Tuesday’s “How I See It”).

You don’t build on concrete that is still green, and you don’t build roads when it is wet. I have worked with VDOT, and I worked on a paving crew in front of Target. If you subgrade and add materials when it is wet, you get potholes.

Culpeper District VDOT has enough on its plate. They are dealing with serious budget cuts, layoffs and closures. I still believe that government officials were remiss in deciding to close Culpeper’s east area headquarters and its residency. Culpeper has to do more with less, and we all know how that feels.

By the way, it is summertime again, so please slow down when going through work zones and pay attention to the signs. You may not see the workers right away, but they are out there.

Mary Kearns Schade
Culpeper