Frederick County: Virtual public hearing for Route 17/50/522 bridge over I-81 at Exit 313

VDOT will hold a design public hearing on Jan. 26 from 4-6 p.m. for the replacement of the Route 17/50/522 (Millwood Pike) bridge over Interstate 81 in Frederick County.

The public can join the meeting by going to the VDOT website project page for Frederick County – Route 17/50/522 (Millwood Pike) Bridge over Interstate 81 and following instructions to connect to the meeting.  Please use this web address to get to the project page: www.virginiadot.org/MillwoodPikeBridge

Please note the entire on-line public meeting will be recorded and placed on YouTube.

The Millwood Pike Bridge was built in 1964 and is reaching the end of its service life. The new bridge will be constructed just north of the current bridge location. On both ends of the bridge, Millwood Pike will be reconstructed to tie into the new bridge location.

Improved traffic operations will result from an extended auxiliary-lane and turn lanes, upgraded traffic signals, and a shared-use path along the north side of Millwood Pike beginning on the western side at Abrams Creek, extending across the new bridge to the Front Royal Pike intersection on the eastern side of the project.

Approval of project plans is scheduled for summer 2021 with right of way activities beginning in summer 2022. Advertisement for construction is currently scheduled for late 2023.

The total estimated cost for this project is $38,373,326, including $3,300,000 for preliminary engineering, $4,426,796 for right of way and $30,646,530 for construction.

During bridge construction, the existing bridge and Millwood Pike roadway will be maintained. It is anticipated that much of the Millwood Pike tie-in construction to the new bridge will be done outside the travel lanes, reducing traffic impacts. Occasional single lane closures may be necessary to move materials or construction equipment.

Pedestrian traffic through the work zone will be prohibited throughout the life of the project.

How to connect to the virtual public hearing using the WebEx platform

• On the VDOT website go to: www.virginiadot.org/MillwoodPikeBridgeFollow the instructions to join the live public hearing.

How to provide comments for the official public hearing transcript. Comments can be submitted within 10 days after the meeting date.

• By Web: Use the ArcGIS Survey123 which will be accessed through the web project page: www.virginiadot.org/MillwoodPikeBridgeThis survey will be live on-line from Jan. 26 through Feb. 4.
• By Phone: Call 540-332-7848 and leave a voice mail. The message will be transcribed and placed into the hearing transcript. The phone line voicemail will be available from Jan. 26 through Feb. 4.
• By Email: [email protected]
• By U.S. Mail: Write to Mr. David Robinson, P.E., Project Manager. Virginia Department of Transportation, 811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401-9029.

Public hearing participants should be aware that questions or remarks made via telephone or typed in the WebEx chat feature during the meeting will not be entered into the official meeting transcript. To hear or view these interactions the public can access a recording of the entire public meeting on VDOT’s YouTube channel.

The VDOT Staunton District serves Frederick, Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, Page, Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, Rockbridge, Alleghany and Bath counties.