(Cascade) — Two local leaders were honored Tuesday as developers cut the ribbon on a new road that’ll serve the Berry Hill Mega Park.
Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation joined local officials to formally open what will be called the “Harville-Saunders Parkway. The nearly-two-and-a-half mile road will link the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill with Route 58.
It’s named in memory of Coy Harville and in Honor of Sherman Saunders. Saunders led RIFA when they began developing Berry Hill. “I never dreamed something like this would happen,” Saunders said at Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting. “Everything has been done for the good of others.”
Saunders says former County Supervisor Coy Harville was also crucial in getting the park off of the drawing board. “He brought people together, united us around common goals, and poured his heart and energy into making this a better place,” Saunders said. “Coy was an advocate for progress who saw this area’s potential long before others did. He laid a foundation on which we continue to build.”
The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill is the largest in Virginia and the southeast United States, covering more than 35-hundred acres. And Saunders says it will pay dividends for the next century. “This project represents a chance to transform our community, attract new industry, create jobs and set a foundation for prosperity for generations to come,” Saunders added.
“By naming this connector road in their honor, we ensure that their legacies endure, inspiring others to continue the work they started,” Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said. “This roadway will not only serve as a pathway to economic opportunity but will also stand as a permanent reminder of Mr. Harville’s and Mr. Saunders’ lasting impact on our region.”
Current Tunstall Supervisor Vic Ingram says city and county leaders have created one of the most attractive large business sites in the nation at Berry Hill. “This Parkway is the gateway to the Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill. It paves the way for key transportation availability, designed to bring forth industry, good paying jobs and economic development to our region,” Ingram said.
VDOT Lynchburg Engineer Chris Winstead says the Harville-Saunders Parkway is step two of a three-step transportation overhaul supporting the Merry Hill Mega Park. “There is another project right down the road here, the $38.5 million Berry Hill Road Extension,” Winstead said. “This extension will add two more lanes deeper into the Mega Park to help address future capacity.”
And Winstead says the Harville-Saunders Parkway had to be built on an accelerated timetable to be ready for Berry Hill’s first client. “We understood the sense of urgency needed to design and construct this new road. Normally, a project of this magnitude could take upwards of 54 months to develop and design,” Winstead said. “Our team got it done in 36 months.”
So who is that first client? We’ll find out very soon. Governor Glenn Youngkin is scheduled to be in the area Wednesday for what his office is calling a “major economic development announcement.”