Instead of a strictly five-lane road through much of the center city, VDOT is looking at making the Crosstown Connector more of a boulevard. That includes putting in grass medians and moving the sidewalks away from the pavement. City officials say both projects are important, but deciding which is more important is difficult. Payne said it is a question not only of priorities but also of resources. State money for transportation projects comes from two different sources, primary and urban funds, Harter said.
Primary funds go to projects outside the city while urban funds go to projects in the city.
The problem is that the Odd Fellows extension is a little bit of both because the Odd Fellows extension would connect to U.S. 460. Supporters of the Odd Fellows project say it would provide better highway access to industries on Odd Fellows Road and Mayflower Drive. It would also alleviate traffic from Odd Fellows onto the Expressway, but supporters think one of the biggest benefits is that it could possibly relieve congestion on Candlers Mountain Road. The state has discussed widening Candlers but is also studying what impact the Odd Fellows extension would have on traffic by the mall. Candlers Mountain Road is in the top 10 in the city for traffic accidents.