PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Drivers in Portsmouth are fed up with a road they say has been deteriorating for years.
The road in question is Burton’s Point Road in Portsmouth. It’s near the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge and parking lots for Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
“I get to work and I’m angry already and it’s not normal,” said Joe Maschietto. “I grew up in New York City and they have the worst roads ever and this is the worst I’ve ever seen. This is like the Wild West.”
“The road is deteriorating so bad,” said Mason Keeter, who commutes on Burton’s Point Road every weekday morning.
“You’re just banging and shaking and flying all over the place,” Maschietto said. “You can’t have a cup of coffee in the morning because it will just end up on the floor spilled.”
Maschietto, Keeter and Shelia Ketterman take the road every morning to get to work. They say it’s basically a dirt path, and when it rains they said there’s potholes everywhere.
They are demanding a smoother commute.
“Don’t come down here and throw dirt on it,” Ketterman said. “You’re just making the potholes that much deeper.”
“If you don’t do it for the taxpayers here, do it for our military,” Keeter said.
A city spokesperson tells me they did have plans to reconstruct Burton’s Point Road. However, they say those plans were halted in October 2020 by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Company.
The city said they can’t agree on their respective rights in the area of the road.
WAVY called and emailed the railroad company and was told they would not comment. They told our Madison Glassman she was “misinformed” and when she pressed for more information they hung up the phone.
The city said they and the railroad are in talks to attempt to resolve the situation.
If you have any concerns on the road: traffic troubles, intersection issues, pothole problems Don’t get Mad Get Madison! Email 10 On Your Side’s Traffic Anchor Madison Glassman.
