Winchester

[southsider 0]

This is good stuff.I've driven down 81 a lot a this looks very similar to Salem/Roanoke.Another good VA region to do would be maybe Tidewater,Va/Tobcco Road,NC.

[Equilibria 16]

Another nice update. Am I to assume that you were a member of that "first rate" marching band?

[WillG_75 19]

I like this CJ! I really enjoy the road signs and how they correlate to the pictures. Reminds me of when I was little, I would make signs out of cardboard, tape then to toothpicks, stick them in the carpet and drive my matchbox cars around

[sloppy182 2]

I love your regions! Great retail areas and I like how you follow a road or highway. It feels like I'm out for a drive exploring the area!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

That is one extensive university campus. It all looks fantastic!

Good job on the presidential primary stuff too. That looks like an authentic CBS affiliate.

You have a gift, my friend. And don't worry about your political feelings, man. Just make it close.

[dfnva 34]

Woohoo, another update, but first....

BBfan02: Thanks for the suggestion, there are a lot of great stadiums on the Stex. And I'll take your word for it on the baseball field since you're a BBfan!

Southsider: Thanks for your comment. Actually, you sorta read my mind, as I intend to make my next region a coastal one based on the Hampton Roads area of VA with resorts, naval complexes, etc. That's probably a while off though. 

Equilibria: Actually, while I was a music major, I am a singer by trade so I did not play in the band. But football at my college was a joke. 

WillG_75: Ha, I would do something similar when I'd make things out of Legos when I was younger.

Sloppy182: Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoy the perspective of driving through the region.

Edmonton_stinks: Thanks! I've enjoyed making graphics with my new computer as the ones I made with my previous one were rather crappy looking! On New Year's Day we shall find out the fate of the primary, though.

And now....

We're going to continue our drive southward, so we're finally leaving Downtown Winchester and the campus of Patrick Henry University.

Here's the view as we've turned onto Eastbound MP-501 / W. Moore St. Some nice residence halls and recreational areas for the college students along here. The residence halls on the right side have a nice view of the Wanata River.

Still more PHU-related buildings here.

At this fork in the road, MP-501 / W. Moore St goes to the left back toward downtown and going straight puts you onto I-134. This intersection is the southern terminus of I-134.

Here's the signal and related signage for this intersection. As our ultimate goal is to get back onto South US-27, we're going to go straight here.

We've approached this interchange in a previous update. We're going to exit off onto South US-27. Notice that Northbound US-27 is duplexed with I-134 and US-27 Business goes north along Union Ave bound for Kings Highway and Piedmont Heights, which we have explored previously.

The Winchester Hotel and Conference Center is a popular place to stay for business travelers and tourists alike. It is comparable in its luxuries to the Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, VA and The Cavalier in Virginia Beach.

Here is the related signage from our vantage point here.

And now we're going to cross the Wanata River.

 

Some classic, but rusting and deteriorating, button-copy signs that date back to the 1970s, are found on the bridge.

Once we've cro

[packersfan 666]

I love the drive thru tours. I love this idea and have done it in past journals, except not to the depth you do, but I would really like to do it in my current region, once my city is pretty settled.

[Mike the Mayor 51]

Great pics, those signs look very nice!

[suplado! 23]

another nice tour around the area...ant the sighn is looking cool with some effects too...!!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

More great shots. The university is still looking good and I love the park.

[dfnva 34]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Packersfan: I recall enjoying a drive through tour in your Campbellsport CJ, if I remember right. Thanks for visiting. 

Mike the Mayor: Thanks, glad you like the signs and pictures.

Suplado: Thanks. I like putting effects on the older signs as they would look in real life when they get older and need replacement.

Edmonton_Stinks: Thanks! 

Today, we're going to keep on trucking southward. Currently, we are on S. Union Ave., a former alignment of US-27.

Here's a picture of the signal for the intersection at S. Gamble Ave. pictured above.

S. Union Ave. mainy goes through some older residential areas. But some McMansions are being built here.

As you can see, limited-access US-27 runs parallel nearby.

Some commerical development where S. Union Ave. crosses MP-116 / Southern Rd including Bloom (Food Lion's upscale grocery store division), El Charro Mexican Restaurant, and some 'Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood' at Applebee's.

Here's the traffic signal for where we cross MP-116. Going straight puts us onto a ramp bound for US-27 South. Notice the old, deteriorating shields marking the routes.

Here's a zoomed-out picture of the area showing the interchange of US-27 and MP-116. We're leaving the city limits of Winchester once we get back onto US-27.

And here are some signs... The lane we merge onto US-27 with becomes an exit-only lane for a relatively new exit. 

Below is the view of US-27 at SR-814 / Old Kings Hwy and SR-970 / Vista Pkwy. As you may guess SR-814 is yet another old alignment of US-27 that until a year ago had an at grade intersection here. Vista Pkwy is a relatively new four-lane highway that goes northeast from here and ends at MP-130 near the Wanata River. 

Of note here is the vast empty land recently bought by a retail developer to become a new regional shopping center or mall. This will definitely have consequences for the ailing Winchester Mall as two of the proposed anchor stores will be Sear's and Wegman's with several other anchor stores possible. If Sear's opens a new store here, they may choose to close the Winchester Mall location. 

Here's the signage at the interchange. Signal ahead? I guess the freeway can't last forever.

[androidboi 57]

wow ! i like how u name ur highways and that news screenshot. hehe

[Shanna 1]

Wonderful stuff!! Originals pics and great city planning and road sistem! i look forward for more!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

That's very unbiased. *cough

Your roads remain spectacular. Best driving CJ I've ever seen.

[deimo5 52]

This is an excellent city journal! The street signs are such a unique and creative touch!!!

[Equilibria 16]

I like Obama too...

Nice new photos. Any renderings of that new retail center available yet?

[bbfan02 23]

Wow, great job with the street signs and lights! I love very street corner and the interchanges look good too. I like the results to the vote too.

-bbfan02-

[iamccman 2]

How Did You Get The News Effects. Like the bottom where it names everything and how it goes from left to right and fades away. (Example: SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.) Like Where Did you get the bar with that.

[Mr. Beer 12]

Nicely done!!! I love how you make all the signs for intersections and interchanges... great CJ!!!

Cheers!

David

[dfnva 34]

Greetings all,

I am planning to have a full update this weekend, but thought I would respond to replies and show you what I've been working on....

The new RHW is great! Here's an intersection a few miles to the south of where we left off:

And here it is with the new RHW ramps and such. I found out a few limitations, but it's still a much better interchange than using one way roads for all of the ramps. I may remove some of the trees I put in to get rid of some of the awkward textures that came up.

Replies...

Truflip99: Thanks for your comment.

Shanna: Thanks, I really enjoy making road systems, so glad you like what you see.

Edmonton_Stinks:  Thanks... despite Obama's win in the Massopax Primary, Hillary Clinton is not my choice for second place (I'm not a big fan of her's), so that will be my claim of unbiasedness. 

Deimo5: Thanks, I'm glad you like the signs, it's fun to make them.

Bbfan02: Thanks! Glad you like the interchanges and sign graphics!

Iamccman: I like the news graphics you use in your CJ. I made mine using Powerpoint of all things (I do that with the signs, etc. too). With the use of various gradients and transparency, you can create a lot of cool stuff and then paste it over pictures. 

Mr. Beer: Thanks for your comment and glad you like the signs!

Equilibria: I think the Massopax Primary is responsible for Obama's momentum into Iowa, too bad he didn't win NH. And I found this rendering of the retail center.... looks like a mixed use development with retail, offices, and residential.

Thanks for visiting, hope to have a full update this weekend!

Dan

[LarksTonguesInAspic 28]

Nice labeling and street signs, what program did you use for the signs?

[bbfan02 23]

Great improvement! I love the new rural highway and that map at the end looks great!

-bbfan02-

[packersfan 666]

I'm a little apprehensive about the RHW, I like it, looks cool, but it has some limitations and I'm not sure if it shows up in region or transportation view. But I love your ROADGEEKERY!

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Nice! I really have to get around to downloading that thing.

You going to show us that new retail center? It sounds awesome.

[suplado! 23]

wow -- the renovated interchange looks cool!!

[jrone3 2]

Very, very creative! The signs and the name of the roads and the primary results, Lovin' every bit of it. Go Obama!!!

[ccecill 52]

Lol... love your primary results dfvna... wonder if Hilldog will change her campaign again... *tears up*

GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!

[dfnva 34]

Manticore Fan: Thanks, glad you like the signs. I make them in Powerpoint, of all things.

Bbfan02: Thanks, I've been having fun fooling around with the new RHW, you'll see more below.

Packersfan: You've hit the nail on the head, while it looks great in-game, the RHW doesn't show up in the regional view.

Edmonton_Stinks: You'll see an update on the new retail center below, thanks for visiting.

Suplado: Thanks!

Jrone3: Thanks, glad you like the roadgeekery and the election results!

Ccecill: Thanks! The election results were not quite as dramatic as the incrimental rollout with the Alton mayor's race, or as detailed, but it was fun to put some politics into this CJ. Maybe I'll try my hand at some elections for the city of Winchester or the Piedmont County board of supervisors at some point. 

AND NOW....


As the title of this update suggests, we shall once again enter rural Piedmont County via US-27. 

But first, an update on the new retail center discussed in previous updates. About 1/3 of the mixed-use development, dubbed Southern Village, has been completed. This is just outside of the Winchester city limits in Piedmont County at the JCT of US-27 and SR-970 / Vista Pkwy. Of course, the city of Winchester is crying foul as they are trying to bolster the lackluster Winchester Mall (details on page 2 of this CJ). Currently, Sear's (which, along with Value City, is the only retail anchor at Winchester Mall) is saying they will keep the Winchester Mall location despite having built a store at Southern Village.


And now, on down the road. Here's a view along US-27 where we left off last time. As you can see this is the current dividing line between the southern reaches of sprawl and rural farmland, a dividing line that is sure to move as more people move out here. 


As part of a transportation safety initiative, various road improvements have recently been made along US-27 including safer lanes using RHW technology and better signage such as this upon approaches to at-grade intersections, replacing simple shields.


Here's the view at SR 632 / Grant Rd. 


The span wire signal installation here dates back to the Early '80s when yellow flashing lights were hung here, but an increase in traffic made full-fledged signals necessary by the mid-1990s.
 

More advanced signage for the next at-grade intersection.


Here's the view at SR 633.


A plethora of signage here, a newer 633 shield to better mark the intersection as well as the previous incarnation, a small marker attached to a stop sign.


The speed limit has been raised from 55 to 65 along these stretches of US-27.

[Equilibria 16]

Great update, though I still haven't gotten all the RHP stuff to work on my computer, so I'm jealous. It looks fantastic!

Could we have some maps of those alternatives, please? (you knew I would ask...)

[jacqulina 162]

wow looking fantastic my friend great work and pics