Route 29 Solutions request for proposals released

The Virginia Department of Transportation announced that the Request for Proposals for projects in the Route 29 Solutions package has been issued to three shortlisted firms and released on the project website Route29Solutions.org.

Three projects are included in the RFP:  the widening of Route 29 from Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) to Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive), construction of Berkmar Drive Extended from Route 1438 (Hilton Heights Road) to Hollymead Town Center and the grade separation of the intersection of Route 631 (Rio Road) and Route 29. The projects will be advanced as a design-build procurement.

A design public hearing on the three design-build projects will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Oct. 14 at Albemarle High School. At that hearing members of the public can get information about the projects, talk with VDOT project team members and provide comments on the proposed designs.

The shortlisted teams are Shirley Contracting Co. / Dewberry Inc., Lane Construction Corp.-Corman Construction Inc. / RK&K, and Skanska-Branch A Joint Venture / JMT.

The project continues to meet schedule milestones. The anticipated schedule dates for responses to the RFP areDec. 4 for the technical proposals and Jan. 13, 2015 for the price proposals. VDOT will evaluate the submissions and select a team Feb. 18, 2015.

Other Route 29 Solutions projects include improving the Route 29/250 interchange in Charlottesville, installing state-of-the-art adaptive signal technology at the intersections from Hydraulic Road north to Airport Road, and completing a study and preliminary engineering for improvements to the Route 29/Hydraulic Road intersection and a possible extension of Hillsdale Drive south of Hydraulic Road. Full funding for the locally-administered Hillsdale Drive Extended project will allow the city of Charlottesville to complete that project. These projects will increase capacity and efficiency along Route 29 and provide alternate routes on parallel roads.

Information about the Route 29 Solutions package, including the projects that are not part of the Request for Proposals, can be found on VDOT’s web site at www.Route29Solutions.org.