Ribbon-cutting for U.S. 29 pedestrian bridge set for November 13

When it comes to the business of moving people around, there are a lot of moving parts. The Albemarle Board of Supervisors got an update on various infrastructure projects at their meeting on October 1, 2025 from the VIrginia Department of Transportation.

While city officials continue to investigate a pedestrian fatality on Emmet Street North that took place on October 1, a long-awaited pedestrian bridge across U.S. 29 is nearly ready to enter service.

“We expect completion October 31st and we are currently planning a ribbon cutting on November 13th,” said Carrie Shepheard, the resident engineer of VDOT’s Charlottesville residency. “So that’s a pretty big, pretty big milestone in that project.”

The bridge is the last remaining element of a bundle of projects in the area including a roundabout at the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive. The idea for the project comes from a small area plan produced in the spring of 2018. (read that plan)

In recent years, VDOT has packaged projects together in bundles to increase the chances of landing a big contractor. One of them with the title “Intersection Design-Build Bundle 2” involves five projects including a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 250 and Route 240 east of Crozet. That project is under construction. The others are roundabouts at East Rio Road and the John Warner Parkway, Route 20 and Route 53 near Piedmont Virginia Community College, and Old Lynchburg Road and Fifth Street. (learn more about this bundle)

“Then last, our final bundle, which includes the hydraulic District Avenue roundabout, the Fontaine Avenue interchange improvements, including the Fontaine streetscaping that goes into the city of Charlottesville,” Shepheard said.

Price proposals from would-be contractors who want to work on that bundle are due on November 3 and Shepheard said the Commonwealth Transportation Board is expected to award a contract in December.

Another project is a shared-use path on U.S. 29 from Carrsbrook Drive to Seminole Lane with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant ramps.

“The new shared-use path will tie in with an existing sidewalk located on the south side of the South Fork Rivanna River,” reads VDOT’s website for the project.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved $5 million in funding for this shared-use path back in Smart Scale’s fourth round. The project went out to bid earlier this year but that process will have to be done again.

“We put that out for advertisement, but we received bids that were too high,” Shepheard said. “That is going back out for advertisement on November 12th. So we’re hoping to get bids that are more in line with our estimates after we get those bids back early next year.”

The project was first called for in the Places29 Master Plan.

Another Smart Scale funded project is a park and ride lot at Exit 107 also funded through Smart Scale. That project has been advertised for construction bids and they’re to be opened in December.

Construction is now underway for the replacement of a bridge over Morey Creek on Fontaine Avenue. The structure was built in 1932 and you can learn more on VDOT’s project page.

Fontaine Avenue is otherwise known as Route 702 and the structure carries around 1,700 vehicles a day. Shepheard said work would be underway through spring of 2027.

“During that time, it will be a single lane with temporary traffic signals on either side,” Shepheard said.

For more information, take a look at Shepheard’s presentation here.

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