Cape Charles speed limit request denied following VDOT review

A request to lower the speed limit near the Food Lion in Cape Charles to 35 miles per hour has been denied by the Virginia Department of Transportation following a traffic study of the area.

According to County Administrator Matt Spuck, VDOT determined that the data collected did not support a reduction in the current speed limit along the Route 13 corridor near the shopping center.

The area now has two traffic signals, several businesses, and will soon include a crossing for the Eastern Shore Rail Trail. However, VDOT’s evaluation concluded that existing traffic conditions do not meet the criteria required to justify a lower posted speed.

In response, officials indicated that alternative safety measures may be considered. Among the options discussed is the potential installation of additional rumble strips to alert drivers as they approach the area.

There was also optimism that planned or recently implemented pedestrian crossing improvements near the Food Lion could help address safety concerns without changing the speed limit.

Northampton County has previously found itself at odds with VDOT over this stretch of Route 13. Requests by the Board of Supervisors for a second traffic signal for years were denied by VDOT before it was ultimately approved through the Smart Scale program.