Nighttime construction will affect northbound traffic on U.S. 29 at Interstate 64 in Albemarle County on Sunday and Monday.
The entrance ramp from U.S. 29 north to I-64 east will be closed both nights while a drainage pipe is installed under the ramp.
The ramp will close at 6 p.m. Sunday and reopen to traffic at 7 a.m. Monday. A second closure will be in effect from 8 p.m. Monday through 7 a.m. Tuesday. During the closure access to I-64 east for northbound traffic will be from the ramp on the southbound side. Drivers should follow the signed detour to the Fontaine Avenue exit from U.S 29, turn left and cross under U.S. 29, reenter the highway on the southbound side and use the southbound entrance ramp to I-64 east.
This work is part of the initial construction to reconfigure the I-64 interchange, eliminating the loop ramp from southbound U.S. 29 to I-64 eastbound. The current ramp configuration results in two “weave” conditions with cars entering and exiting I-64 and has been identified as a factor in numerous crashes over the past few years. The loop ramp will be replaced with dual left-turn lanes on southbound U.S. 29 onto the ramp that now serves northbound U.S. 29 to eastbound I-64 traffic. With the improvements both weave movements will be eliminated.
The Exit 118 improvement is one of two projects in the first phase of a six-project package of improvements to Albemarle County roads in a $28.5 million design-build contract awarded to Curtis Contracting Inc. of West Point. Wallace Montgomery of Vienna, Va. is providing design services for the projects.
The second project in the first phase will add an option lane — a through/right-merge lane — at the Fontaine Avenue exit from northbound U.S. 29. The project will reduce current weaving issues and remove conflict points for vehicles exiting 29 onto Fontaine Avenue. Construction will begin on that project in the near future and both project will be complete in September.
The remaining four projects will be constructed in two additional phases:
- A diverging diamond interchange at the U.S. 250 exit from I-64 at Pantops
- A roundabouts at U.S. 250 (Rockfish Gap Turnpike) and Route 151 (Critzers Shop Road) at Afton
- A roundabout at Route 20 (Stony Point Road) and Route 649 (Proffit Road)
- A connector road between Berkmar Drive and Rio Mills Road just north of the South Fork Rivanna River.
Construction of all six projects will be completed in the spring of 2023. More information about the projects can be found on VDOT’s website at www.virginiadot.org/projects/culpeper/albdesignbuild.asp
Current traffic conditions and other real-time travel information can be found on the 511 Virginia website, the free VDOT 511 mobile app or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia. VDOT updates are also on Facebook and the district’s Twitter account, @VaDOTCulp.