HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – Residents in Henrico County’s east end are putting pressure on county leadership after an ongoing problem with large trucks on White Oak Road.
On December 3, a truck became stuck in a ditch, blocking the roadway and forcing nearby residents to take alternate routes to get home. Eyewitnesses told 8News it took several police officers to get the truck turned around.
There is an ordinance restricting 18 wheelers from White Oak Road. Stewart Goodwin, who lives along the roadway, said police have conducted selective enforcement since the ordinance went into effect in early 2015, but that truck drivers still use the road as they ship cargo to and from the nearby Lumber Liquidators facility.
Some residents suggest renaming the road the 1 million square foot facility is on. Lumber Liquidators is located on White Oak Creek Drive, which critics say is too similar to White Oak Road and is often entered into drivers’ GPS systems. The similarity regularly causes truck drivers to use the restricted road, according to residents.
Goodwin told 8News the problem is a public safety issue, citing concerns of potential traffic accidents along the narrow, winding road. Another neighbor recalled watching as a school bus came to a complete stop along the road as the driver waited for an oncoming big rig to pass.
A spokesman for Henrico’s department of public works said the weight restriction on White Oak Road had reduced traffic from trucks since the Lumber Liquidator distribution center opened in January 2015.
Police have issued 95 summonses to drivers for violating the ordinance since it was passed.
