Albemarle County: Portion of Free Union Road to be closed April 29-May 4

An upcoming pipe replacement project will close a portion of a busy Albemarle County route for about six days in late April.

VDOT will close Route 601 (Free Union Road) to replace a large pipe located between Route 678 (Ridge Road) and Route 829 (Horseshoe Bend Road). The road will be closed at 8 a.m. April 29 and reopen on Saturday, May 4, weather permitting, once work is complete.

The large pipe is located well below the road surface and must be replaced to prevent damage to the travel lanes. Crews will excavate the soil above and around the pipe. After removing the pipe, crews will install a new pipe, backfill the area and resurface the road.

Due to the significant work required to remove the old pipe, it is not feasible to keep one travel lane open during this project.

During the closure, motorists heading toward Free Union from Charlottesville should use Route 614 (Garth Road) to Route 671 (Millington Road) which carries traffic back to Route 601. Traffic coming the opposite direction should reverse the detour.

Drivers should check www.511virginia.org or the 511 mobile app for updated information about traffic conditions and follow @VaDOTCULP on Twitter for updates.