A one-and-a-half-mile stretch of road in the Cobbs Creek/Dutton area of Mathews may be the most hazardous place to drive in the county.
Sheriff Mark Barrick said that the area on Route 198 from Windsor Road to Twiggs Ferry Road is the most heavily travelled place in Mathews, with lots of rushed traffic traversing from and to the Northern Neck regularly. A convenience store at the intersection generates traffic as well, and adds to the hazard level, he said, and some drivers cut through the parking lot to try to avoid the stop sign. On top of that, a large church that serves a multi-county congregation is located close to the intersection, adding to the traffic on Sundays and other days when there are gatherings.
When he’s asked which part of the county will likely get a stoplight at some point, Barrick said he always puts that intersection first.
The speed limit along that stretch of road was reduced from 55 mph to 50 mph after a 2019 VDOT study showed that the number of accidents ther...