Diamond Avenue community continues seeking help
The small, wooden bridge on Diamond Avenue has been a part of the community for as long as some residents can remember. Many of those residents have asked for repairs to the bridge for decades.
Residents of Diamond Avenue in Rocky Mount are continuing to seek help from town, county and state officials as they seek funding for what they see as critical needs for the community.
For decades the small community has asked for a second exit out of the neighborhood. The only entrance and exit can sometimes be blocked by trains rolling by, or sometimes even stopping at the railroad crossing.
There is the added concern by residents that a small, wooden bridge near that only entrance and exit is in need of repairs. If the bridge were to fail, residents would also be stuck with no way out of the neighborhood.
The Franklin County NAACP is currently working with residents to bring a spotlight on the issue. NAACP representative Penny Blue is overseeing the committee with local residents.
Blue said there have been plans in place for years for a second exit, but nothing has been done. She has discovered records of an easement in place since 2013 that would allow the construction of an access road from Diamond Avenue to Sycamore Street nearby.
Neither the town of Rocky Mount nor Franklin County have provided and funding so far for the construction of an access road or for a new bridge.
"I think there has been a lot of lip service so far, but no money," Blue said of discussions with local leaders over the years.
The community recently became a part of the town as part of a boundary adjustment between the town and county in 2024. Since then, the town has requested $13.5 million in funding from the state for the construction of an access road and improvements to the bridge.
Rocky Mount requested the funding for the projects as part of its legislative agenda for the past two years. The Virginia General Assembly denied funding for the projects both years.
Blue said the town needs to have more detailed plans in place before they will receive any funding, based on conversations she has had with state officials.
Mayor Holland Perdue said the finding a second exit for the community and repairs to the bridge has been a top priority for Rocky Mount since it became part of the town. He added that the community has been part of the town for less than a year.
Perdue said he hasn't heard from any state representatives concerning Diamond Avenue since February. He added that the town is willing to listen if any additional work needs to be done to get state funding.
"If there are things we need to do differently, it would be very helpful to know what they are," Perdue said.
Blue also pointed out that an easement is currently in place to allow for construction of an access road from the Lillie's Leisure community just off Diamond Avenue to Sycamore Street. She said the easement was approved in 2013 when the community was part of the county.
Perdue said that easement is only for an emergency access road and that the town is looking for a better solution that would include a road that could be useable by residents at all times. If emergency vehicles only have access to the road, then it could take more time for those vehicles to arrive and transport someone. He said it could be faster if residents just have access to a second road in an emergency.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
