The regional panel that makes decisions related to transportation planning have agreed to make changes to a project that would alter the junction of U.S. 29 and Fontaine. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization agreed to no longer proceed with a “displaced left turn lane” but to make a big change for how trucks get from one highway to another.
“It also closes off the crossover on U.S. 29 northbound to go Interstate 64 westbound,” said Sean Nelson, the Culpeper District Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation. “It requires the trucks to come up to the Fontaine interchange to go back south.”
The “displaced left turn” project is one of several projects that qualified for funding after an initial plan to rebuild the entire U.S. 29 / Interstate 64 interchange placed almost last in the very first Smart Scale round. One that has been built is a traffic signal on U.S. 29 that went active in 2020.
(download a .PDF of the schematic drawing put together by Michael Baker International)
Both the University of Virginia and Charlottesville have raised concerns about the displaced left turn lane with UVA concerned about how that would affect the entrance to the Fontaine Research Park. There were also concerns about how truck traffic would affect a future shared-use path as well as the Rivanna Trail which crosses Fontaine.
Nelson said VDOT has come up with an alternative where traffic signals would be installed at both ramps. Engineers ruled out roundabouts, a diverging diamond, and a continuous Green-T intersection.
“The displaced left movement goes away,” Nelson said. “It’s a conventional intersection. There is no innovation with it. It’s literally just signals.”
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors voted on February 21 to proceed with the alternative. The project is not yet fully designed nor has the signage been developed yet that will tell truck drivers how they will get to Interstate 64.
“I can tell you that the Board’s primary was unanimous in shutting down the left movement onto I-64 and a history of concerns,” said Albemarle Supervisor Ned Gallaway.
There is also not yet a cost estimate but it will need to be within the $12,374,620 awarded in Round 4 of Smart Scale.
The MPO Policy Board approved the change. The Commonwealth Transportation Board will also have to consent to the change.
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