Portion of Churchville Avenue to close for construction

As part of construction on the Churchville Avenue in the City of Staunton, Churchville Avenue will be closed to eastbound traffic from North Augusta Street to Albemarle Avenue. The eastbound lane will be closed 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. The westbound lane will be open to traffic during construction. The lane closure will begin in late October or early November. The Virginia Department of Transportation will announce the lane closure beginning date in the near future.

The lane closures will allow for public utility installation, brick sidewalk installation, grading and paving operations, storm drainage construction and traffic signal installation.

There are four recommended detours for eastbound Churchville Avenue traffic heading into the Staunton business district from the Route 262/Route 250 interchange area to North Augusta Street.
– Take Route 250 and turn right onto Grubert Avenue and then turning left onto West Beverly Street, which intersects with North Augusta Street.
– Take Route 250 and turn right onto Thornrose Avenue and then turning left on to West Beverly Street, which intersects with North Augusta Street.
– Take Churchville Avenue and turn left onto Springhill Road to Route 262. Turn right onto Route 262 north to the Route 11 intersection. Turn right onto Route 11 and take Route 11 bypass (Commerce Road) into Staunton.
– At the Route 262/Route 250 interchange – take Route 262 north to the Route 11 intersection. Turn right onto Route 11 and take Route 11 bypass (Commerce Road) into Staunton.

All work and scheduling is weather permitting. Detour signs will be posted in the Staunton area.

The Churchville Avenue construction contract value is $2,688,556.46 and was awarded to Fielder’s Choice Enterprises Inc. of Charlottesville with a fixed completion date of June 4, 2011. The construction contract was approved by VDOT Commissioner David Ekern on Aug. 21, 2009.

The Churchville Avenue project extends from Albemarle Avenue to North Augusta Street and will replace the existing Churchville Avenue with a wider roadway. It will include turn lanes in both directions, upgraded pedestrian lighting, plus a walking and bike path.

Each travel lane will be 12-feet wide and have curb and gutter. A 10-foot wide walk and bikeway will be located on the south side of the road. A 5-foot wide sidewalk will be provided at the base of the rock wall on the north side of the road. Decorative signal and pedestrian light poles will be provided on Churchville Avenue, which is the main east/west route through Staunton.

Brick crosswalks and curb ramps are included with the project. Also included in the project are new water, sewer and storm drains.

A right-turn lane will be located eastbound at Lewis Street. A left-turn lane westbound will be provided at Lewis Street, Central Avenue and private entrances. Room for turning trucks will be provided at each intersection

The existing average daily traffic count is 11,000 vehicles per day and is projected to increase to 15,000 vehicles per day in the year 2026.