Hanover board asks VDOT to bar through trucks on Godens Hill Road

Hanover County supervisors voted May 28 to request that the Virginia Department of Transportation implement a through-truck restriction on Godens Hill Road, a narrow rural road used as a north–south cut-through.

Transportation staff described the road as roughly 1.2 miles long, with limited shoulders, tight curves and poor sight lines; staff said the corridor carries about 1,400 vehicles per day and has drawn repeated safety complaints from residents. The requested restriction would bar larger commercial trucks, while exempting local delivery vehicles such as UPS and FedEx and passenger pickups.

Several residents testified in favor of the restriction. “A truck cannot turn down that road without going into the other lane, and that's a blind curve,” said Chuck Reese, who told the board he has lived on the road for 31 years and described repeated guardrail strikes and near crashes. Neighbor Carolyn Cook said drivers on Godens Hill “are always just barely on the double yellow line because they know there's no shoulder,” and urged approval.

Board members and staff noted the restriction must meet VDOT’s criteria, including the presence of a reasonable alternate route; staff said the alternate would use Route 54, I‑95 and connecting roads to avoid town cut‑throughs. Transportation staff concluded the road meets VDOT’s criteria and recommended the board adopt a resolution requesting VDOT implement the restriction.

The board adopted the resolution; supervisors asked staff to forward the request to VDOT for evaluation and implementation under VDOT’s regulatory process. No member recorded a roll-call vote in the public transcript; the board chair called for voices and the ayes carried. The resolution asks VDOT to consider the restriction between Route 54 and Mount Herman Road and to apply standard exemptions for local deliveries and emergency vehicles.