Va. State Police dedicate driver training track
Friday - 9/21/2012, 12:53pm ET
BLACKSTONE, Va. - Virginia State Police have dedicated a new Driver Training Complex.
The facility is located on 680 acres near Fort Pickett, just outside the town of Blackstone.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports ( http://bit.ly/SHElW7) that it will provide troopers with 4 1/2 miles of urban, rural and interstate roadway courses designed to simulate the topography they will experience on the job. The track includes interstate acceleration lanes, a cloverleaf ramp, city intersections, a roundabout, railroad tracks, a skidpan, cul-de-sacs and a precision-driving course among other features.
Col. Steven Flaherty told officers and dignitaries gathered for Thursday's dedication ceremony that it's "a one-of-a-kind track."
The complex replaces a closed concrete runway the troopers have been using at Blackstone Army Airfield for about 20 years.
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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com
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