Overnight lane closure hours extended for pile driving at Route 29-Rio Road project

Beginning tonight the lane closures at the intersection of Route 29 (Seminole Trail) and Rio Road will begin at 8:30 p.m. and will end by 7 a.m. the next morning. The Virginia Department of Transportation has authorized the extension of the lane closures through Nov. 20 to allow the contractor additional time to perform the installation of bridge pilings for the grade-separated intersection.

With the extended lane closures Lane-Corman Joint Venture, the contractor building the Rio Road intersection project, will be able to complete the pile-driving three days earlier than scheduled. VDOT found that the additional time provides a public benefit since it will reduce the duration of the pile-driving operation, which creates significant noise during nighttime hours.

VDOT and Lane-Corman personnel will be on site each night to monitor the pile driving and the traffic conditions. If the extended lane closures create unreasonable traffic congestion the contractor will revert to the original 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. closures.

During the nightly closures traffic on Rio Road will not be able to cross Route 29 or make left turns onto Route 29. Left turns from Route 29 onto Rio Road will also be prohibited. Through traffic traveling north and south on Route 29 will be maintained.  Right turns will be permitted from Route 29 onto Rio Road and from Rio Road eastbound to Route 29 southbound.

Business entrances on Route 29 north and south of the intersection, and on Rio Road east and west of Route 29, will remain open during the utility work. Signed detours will be in place to direct traffic around the work zone.

The contractor for the three design-build projects: Rio Road intersection, Route 29 widening and the Berkmar Drive extension has established a toll-free telephone number for residents to call regarding questions or issues related to those projects. Calls to the number, 844-220-5540, will be returned by Lane-Corman Joint Venture staff within one business day.

The Rio Road grade-separated intersection project is one of eight Route 29 Solutions highway projects to improve safety and increase mobility along the Route 29 corridor in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. To learn more, visit Route29Solutions.org. Information about upcoming lane closures and other traffic impacts, as well as news about the projects, is posted on the News and Traffic Alerts page.