Route 29 Solutions

Overview

The highway improvement projects known as “Route 29 Solutions” represent a significant investment in improving mobility and reducing congestion on the U.S. 29 corridor in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region. The selection of projects was the result of a process that included input from the Route 29 Solutions Advisory Panel, local governments, business and environmental groups from communities along the U.S. 29 corridor.

The projects

The following project elements were approved for funding by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in June 2014, three of which were advanced through construction using the design-build project delivery process.

• Hydraulic Road intersection study
• U.S. 29/U.S. 250 interchange improvements
• U.S. 29 at Rio Road grade-separated intersection
• U.S. 29 widening, from Polo Grounds Road to Towncenter Drive
• Berkmar Drive extension, from Hilton Heights Road to Towncenter Drive
• Adaptive traffic signal control technology
• Hillsdale Drive extension, from Rio Road to Hydraulic Road

Construction of a project to extend Hillsdale Drive South from Hydraulic Road to Holiday Drive was deferred at the request of the Project Delivery Advisory Panel and City of Charlottesville. VDOT agreed to include this project in the Hydraulic Road intersection study to evaluate alternatives for the roadway extension, which would provide access to areas south without using U.S. 29. 

With the project package, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) also approved full funding for a second passenger train between Lynchburg and Washington, D.C.

Hydraulic Road intersection study

This $10 million study evaluated future land uses and transportation improvements for the U.S. 29-Hydraulic Road intersection, as well as the surrounding roads and properties in the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The study area is roughly bounded by Greenbrier Drive/Whitewood Road on the north, Meadow Creek to the east, the U.S. 250 Bypass to the south and North Berkshire Road to the west. 

The study was undertaken in two phases. The first phase involved planning for future land uses for properties that lie within the study area. The second phase investigated potential transportation improvements within the U.S. 29-Hydraulic Road study area, including Hydraulic Road, Hillsdale Drive, the Route 250 Bypass and the interchange at Emmet Street and the 250 Bypass.

The small area land use planning study was completed by September 2017. Based on the study results, the city and county prepared applications for transportation improvement projects submitted for SMART SCALE project evaluation in summer 2018.

U.S. 29/U.S. 250 interchange improvements

The $17.15 million U.S. 29/Route 250 interchange improvements project (known locally as the "Best Buy ramp project") opened to traffic on May 21, 2016. This project added a second lane to the entrance ramp from U.S. 29 south onto the Route 250 Bypass and an associated merge lane on Route 250 westbound to the Barracks Road exit. It also added an additional southbound lane to U.S. 29 by widening in the median from just south of Hydraulic Road to the Route 250 Bypass interchange. The improvements will reduce congestion and improve safety and the movement of traffic from U.S. 29 onto the Route 250 Bypass, as well as the flow of traffic continuing south on U.S. 29 (Emmet Street) into the city.
 
The project also included construction of a new sidewalk between Morton Drive and Angus Road. The sidewalk is located in the U.S. 29 median, which provides the safest route for pedestrians to use when traveling from one side of the interchange to the other. The new sidewalk section connects with existing pedestrian crossings and sidewalks at Angus Road (north of the interchange) and Morton Drive (south of the interchange).

Grade-separated intersection at U.S. 29 and Rio Road

The Rio Road grade-separated intersection (GSI) project was completed Dec. 2, 2016, meeting its fixed completion date and finishing within the $69.7 million project budget. The grade separation moves traffic more efficiently through one of the most congested intersections on the U.S. 29 corridor. 

Rio Road remains at roughly the previous grade, while U.S. 29 was reconstructed to separate through traffic and local traffic exiting at Rio Road. Four through lanes — two each direction — were constructed underneath Rio Road to carry traffic with destinations north or south of Rio Road. Local lanes were built to the outside of the through lanes so traffic with local destinations can leave U.S. 29 onto Rio Road or access the businesses near the intersection. This separation of through and local traffic improves safety at the intersection, which had a history of high crash rates.

The project was included in the U.S. 29 Solutions projects and advanced through construction as part of a design-build contract that also included the widening of U.S. 29 between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive) and construction of an 2.3 mile-long extension of Berkmar Drive from its current end at Route 1438 (Hilton Heights Road) north to Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive).

U.S. 29 widening

This $61.3 million project widened U.S. 29 (Seminole Trail) from a four-lane divided highway to a six-lane divided highway between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive) in northern Albemarle County. The project will increase the roadway capacity, which will reduce congestion on this heavily traveled section of U.S. 29.

Additional lanes were constructed on both sides of the existing highway, and included curb and gutter and sidewalks on both sides. The project also included a paved multi-use path on the east side of U.S. 29 from the southern end of the project to Hollymead Drive. A pedestrian crosswalk at that intersection allows pedestrians and other users to cross U.S. 29 to a paved sidewalk on the west side, that extends north to Towncenter Drive.

Improvement of this 1.8-mile-long section completed the widening of U.S. 29 north to Timberwood Boulevard, and also included reconstruction of some sections of the existing highway to eliminate sight-distance deficiencies and improve overall safety. The project advanced through construction as part of a design-build contract that also included Berkmar Drive Extended and construction of a grade-separated intersection at U.S. 29 and Route 631 (Rio Road).

Berkmar Drive extension

Completed in October 2017, this project extended Route 1403 (Berkmar Drive) north from its current terminus at Route 1438 (Hilton Heights Road) to Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive). The new 2.3-mile long road offers an alternative for local traffic traveling north or south between Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s urban ring to the developed Hollymead area, the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport and the county’s park at Chris Greene Lake. The road was constructed as a two-lane facility, built on a four-lane right of way, to allow for possible future expansion.

The project includes a bridge spanning the South Fork Rivanna River to the west of the U.S. 29 bridges, as well as bike lanes, sidewalks and a paved multi-use path. The project advanced through construction as part of a design-build contract that also includes the widening of U.S. 29 between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive) and construction of a grade-separated intersection at U.S. 29 and Route 631 (Rio Road).

Adaptive traffic signal control technology

The installation of adaptive signal control technology on the U.S. 29 corridor allows traffic to move more efficiently, decreasing congestion and travel times for motorists. The $3.7 million project included improvements to 18 intersections on U.S. 29 between Hydraulic Road at the Charlottesville city limits and Airport Road, plus three intersections close to U.S. 29 with heavy turn volumes.

The ability to control the signals remotely from the Northwest Regional Traffic Operations Center also allows operations staff to monitor the corridor and make adjustments to the signals during situations that result in unusual traffic patterns, such as significant traffic from a large public event or an emergency incident.

Hillsdale Drive extension

Completed in October 2017, this City of Charlottesville project expanded the parallel road network on the U.S. 29 corridor north of Charlottesville by completing a connection between Rio Road and Hydraulic Road east of U.S. 29.

The road extended Hillsdale Drive south from its prior terminus at Greenbrier Drive. The road continues between the Pepsi-Cola and U.S. Post Office properties, through the Seminole Square Shopping Center and finally connects with Hydraulic Road opposite the Dominion Power property.

Advisory panels

Two advisory panels were formed to work alongside VDOT during the planning and construction of the projects.

The Hydraulic Planning Advisory Panel included representatives from the city and county governments, local businesses and the environmental community. This panel developed future land use and transportation improvement plans for the area around the U.S. 29-Hydraulic Road intersection. 

The Project Delivery Advisory Panel represented local governments, businesses, land owners and others in Albemarle County and Charlottesville. The panel assisted VDOT with development and delivery of the Rio Road grade-separated intersection, Berkmar Drive extension and U.S. 29 widening design-build projects by providing input from the community's perspective, regarding:

• design,
• construction,
• maintenance of traffic, and
• public safety.