Safety project under way on Route 53 in Albemarle County

This week the Virginia Department of Transportation begins work to construct a right-turn lane at the intersection of westbound Route 53 (Thomas Jefferson Parkway) and Route 729 (Milton Road) in Albemarle County, where limited sight distance is a safety concern.

Excavation for the new lane will require a single lane closure on Route 53 with flaggers controlling traffic between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Motorists are asked to drive with caution through the work zone and stay alert for changes to the traffic pattern.

The turn-lane improvement is the fourth federally-funded safety project to be completed on Route 53, which carries approximately 8,000 vehicles daily. Other projects included intersection improvements at Route 53 and Route 20 and shoulder-widening and grading near the entrance to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and at Kenwood Farm Lane, all completed in fall 2013. Details are on VDOT’s website atwww.virginiadot.org/projects/culpeper/route_53.asp.

Contractor J.R. Caskey, Inc. of Oilville was awarded the $354,926.02 construction contract for this project in early July. The contract has a fixed completion date of Nov. 16.