Albemarle Supervisors begin 2026 with a transportation update

At their first regular business meeting of the year, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors got a snapshot of various transportation projects in the county ranging from what’s under construction to what’s still being planned.

Carrie Shepheard, resident engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Charlottesville residency, said some of the work going on now is part of a bundle of five projects rolled into one contract.

“The Route 240/250 roundabout and the Route 680 Brown’s Gap turnpike bridge replacement is underway,” Shepheard said. “Construction is also underway at the Old Lynchburg Road Fifth Street roundabout and construction plans are under review for the John Warner Parkway / Rio Road Road roundabout project and the Belvedere Green-T.”

This bundle also includes a roundabout at Route 20 and Route 53 down the hill from Piedmont Virginia Community College but those plans are still in the final design awaiting the right of way phase. The estimated cost for this bundle is $42.3 million according to a project website with more details on the five projects.

A second bundle involves a roundabout at Hydraulic Road and District Avenue, a shared use path on Fontaine Avenue, and a reconfiguration of the interchange of U.S. 29 and Fontaine Avenue. The Commonwealth Transportation Board awarded a nearly $31 million contract to Curtis Contracting on December 9, 2025. (project website)

This marks the first time a Smart Scale project awarded to the City of Charlottesville has gone to contract. The Fontaine Avenue Streetscape was one of three projects Charlottesville secured funding for in 2016 but failed to deliver. In recent years, city officials agreed to give up management of the project to VDOT in order to move it forward.

Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley of the Rivanna District noticed that the timeline to reconstruct the intersection of U.S. 250 and Route 20 on Pantops keeps shifting. The $22.4 million project is another Smart Scale funded initiative.

“That date’s been going back and forth, back and forth,” LaPisto-Kirtley said.

Shepheard said the project is in the right of way phase which involves a lot of talks with property owners about securing easements.

“Along that corridor, there are a lot of property owners that we need to get permission from so that’s what they’re working through right now,” Shepheard said. “I think it’s about 45 business owners.”

Some other transportation information.

• Albemarle County secured funding in the fourth round of Smart Scale for a shared use path along U.S. 29 in Albemarle County. VDOT advertised the project for construction last year but all bids came in over the estimate. The project was re-advertised in November. (project website)
• Bids for a park and ride lot at Interstate 64’s exit in Crozet have come in and will be opened on January 28. This was also funded through Smart Scale. (project website)
• Shepheard said a project to extend Berkmar Drive northward to Airport Road will go to construction in the winter of 2027, likely in January 2028. The project website states Fall 2026.
• Another Smart Scale funded project is to build a trail hub at 5th Street Station. That will go to advertisement in the spring. (project website)
• There was no information about the Commonwealth Transportation Board’s award of $20 million for a county-led project to extend Boulders Road as part of the Rivanna Futures project. The Economic Development Authority agreed to spend $500,000 on the project at their meeting on January 20.

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