The intersection of Route 17 and Woods Cross Road in northern Gloucester County has been a problem for almost as long as it’s been an intersection. A quick glance at our archives shows the first mention of a fatality at that intersection was in 1952 when a Richmond man lost his life there.

Since then, there have been many more. Last year, a motorcyclist lost his life in a three-vehicle collision at this dangerous spot. Fatal and near-fatal accidents there have become the norm.

This week, Petsworth District supervisor Ken Gibson took his case to the governor. On Monday, in a letter to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Gibson asked for the governor to take executive action to get a traffic light installed. At Tuesday night’s Gloucester Board of Supervisors’ meeting, he brought the issue up again with VDOT officials.

VDOT has been pursuing another solution to the problem, moving ahead with plans for a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT), a far more costly, time-consuming and complicated solution that Gibson has called the trendy “flavor of the day” in the world of road design.

In spite of opposition to this plan by many of those who navigate this intersection on a daily basis, VDOT still favors the RCUT solution.

We agree with Gibson and ask that the governor step in to make this call. Lives are on the line.