Home VDOT set to begin Hydraulic Road-Hillsdale Drive roundabout work on July 8
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VDOT set to begin Hydraulic Road-Hillsdale Drive roundabout work on July 8

Chris Graham

hydraulic road hillsdale drive A new roundabout going in at the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive in Charlottesville could lead to some driving headaches for local motorists this summer.

VDOT is going to close the existing signalized intersection on Monday, July 8 to begin work to convert it to a two-lane roundabout with pedestrian crosswalks on all four approaches.

Once work begins, drivers will not be able to use the intersection, but have several routes around the work zone.

The roundabout will open to traffic and the detour lifted no later than Aug. 13.

Drivers westbound on the U.S. 250 Bypass who wish to use Hydraulic Road to access U.S. 29 (Seminole Trail) will instead travel farther west to U.S. 29. Southbound drivers on U.S. 29 who want to use Hydraulic Road to access U.S. 250 will instead continue south and take the exit to U.S. 250 east.

During construction, the public will have access to all businesses near the intersection.

This project is part of a $24 million bundle of improvements fully funded through SMART SCALE. It is designed to improve safety and efficient movement as well as increase multi-modal access within the Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 area.

Other improvements include:

  • A pedestrian bridge over U.S. 29 with bus stops for future service near Zan Road.
  • A signalized pedestrian crossing and reconfigured traffic movements at the Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 intersection.
  • Improved access management at the Hydraulic Road/Brandywine Drive and Hydraulic Road/Michie Drive intersections.

For more information on the bundle of projects, please go to Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 transportation improvements

For more information on the roundabout portion of this project, go to Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive Roundabout.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].