By MARK THOMAS, Star-Tribune Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:11 AM EDT

Sen. Charles Hawkins speaks at the ribbon cutting of Cane Creek Parkway, the new access road into the joint county-city industrial park.

Officials from Pittsylvania County, Danville and the state cut a red, white and blue ribbon Wednesday morning for a new industrial access road leading to some of the region's newest and largest job producers.

"This is a corridor that helps us all," Chatham Sen. Charles Hawkins said before the ribbon cutting for Cane Creek Parkway, which leads into Cane Creek Centre, the joint county-city industrial park.

The two-mile, four-lane stretch of asphalt connects U.S. 58 East to the Ringgold East Industrial Park, going by already-operating Yorktowne Cabinetry and Swedwood, a furniture manufacturer that will open in January.

Dan River District Supervisor Bobby Scearce said the road provides for an easy flow of traffic in and out of the industrial park. He said it would take a large amount of traffic off of routes 655 and 729.

The road opened following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.  Officials celebrated the county-city partnership required for the road.

Gov. Tim Kaine has previously touted the relationship between Danville and Pittsylvania County as a model for the rest of the state.

"Our future is brighter due to this type of cooperation," Hawkins said.

Danville Mayor Wayne Williams and Hawkins said the access road was a result of planning.

"If you want economic growth, you have to plan for it, not be overwhelmed by it," Hawkins said.

The project, which also included water and sewer lines, cost $5.2 million, said County Administrator Dan Sleeper.

Money came from the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, and city and county industrial bonds.

It was one of several infrastructure projects that had to be done quickly to meet Swedwood's needs. Sleeper said the county and city have actually been running ahead of schedule.

An access road to Swedwood should be finished in the next few weeks; a rail spur is already completed.

Swedwood, the manufacturing subsidiary of IKEA, will employ more than 700, while Yorktowne will have more than 500 jobs. Matrix Technologies, which will locate in the Ringgold East Industrial Park shell building, is expected to employ 500.