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Design public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 14 for three Route 29 Solutions projects

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route 29The Virginia Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing to gather public comment on the major design features of three projects in the Route 29 Solutions package of road improvements.  The projects that will be presented at the hearing are the grade-separated intersection at Route 29 and Rio Road, the extension of Berkmar Drive from Hilton Heights Road to Towncenter Drive, and the widening of Route 29 between Polo Grounds Road and Towncenter Drive.

The public hearing will be held Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Albemarle High School, 2775 Hydraulic Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901. The meeting will be held in the school’s cafeteria. It will be held in an open forum format; members of the public will have an opportunity to view renderings, a video simulation and plans of the proposed designs and speak with members of the project team. A court reporter will be available to record comments from meeting attendees; those comments will become part of the official hearing record. If the hearing must be postponed due to bad weather it will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, also in the cafeteria at Albemarle High School.

Comments may also be submitted for 10 days following the public hearing, either by email or by postal mail. Those comments should be addressed to Robert Strevell, Project Manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, VA 22701. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected]. Please reference “Route 29 Solutions Design Hearing Comment” in the subject line. Comments must be postmarked, emailed or delivered to VDOT by Oct. 24 to be included in the public hearing record.

The Berkmar Drive extension project will build a new road running parallel to and west of Route 29 (Seminole Trail) that will provide an alternate route for local traffic. The proposed road will be 2.3 miles long and will include a bridge crossing the South Fork Rivanna River. The project is estimated to cost $54.5 million.

The grade separation of the intersection of Route 29 and Route 631 (Rio Road) will move traffic more efficiently through the intersection by separating through traffic from local traffic exiting at Rio Road and nearby businesses. The cost of the project, including design, right of way and utility relocation and construction, is estimated at $84.3 million.

The third project is the widening of Route 29 between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Towncenter Drive from a four-lane divided facility to a six-lane divided facility. The project will increase the capacity of the roadway and improve safety by eliminating stopping sight distance deficiencies. The project’s estimated cost is $46.8 million.

More information about the projects included in the Route 29 Solutions package is available on VDOT’s web site at www.Route29Solutions.org.

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