The first of two upcoming public meetings on the way forward for the Route 460 project will be held Monday at King’s Fork High School.

According to a Virginia Department of Transportation project update, the meeting will be an open house with “maps and information displays about the 17-mile project.”

“Project right of way, environmental and technical representatives will be available to answer questions,” according to VDOT.

The second meeting will be held at Windsor High School, 24 Church St., Windsor, on May 28. Both sessions are scheduled to run from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

VDOT is working to finalize a supplemental environmental study and environmental permit application to improve the road between Suffolk and west of Zuni, including a new road alongside the existing 460 to just past Windsor.

A previous plan to build a new 55-mile road was abandoned over environmental concerns, and the contract with a private partner was terminated, a new procurement would be needed for the new plan to move ahead.

Once the project is scored under new legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2014, the Commonwealth Transportation Board would also have to vote again to advance the project, after previously approving an outline of the new plan.

The road is being improved to “address roadway deficiencies, create an emergency evacuation route, improve safety on the road, accommodate increasing freight shipments, reduce travel delays, improve strategic military connectivity and support local economic development,” according to VDOT.