MPO staff: Cost estimates increases for three out of four Smart Scale projects

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One of the functions of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District is to coordinate with localities on regional transportation planning. One of the ways the TJPDC does that is through administering the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The MPO’s Policy Board recently endorsed four applications through the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Smart Scale process. The Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment conducts the initial review according to Taylor Lowery, the TPDC’s director of transportation planning. The Commonwealth Transportation Board will get an initial look in October.

“What they typically cover this time of year is how many applications have been submitted, if there were any that were withdrawn, any trends that they have seen, who the submitting application submitters have been,” Lowery said.

A resource:

• Powerpoint presentation on the Smart Scale update, August 4, 2026 MPO Tech meeting

The CTB will take a look at the initial round of scoring in late January and the MPO Policy Board will review in February. Next spring there will be public hearings on all of the projects that are recommended for funding.

Lowery said that all of the projects received one last cost estimate before they were officially submitted. Here are the ones submitted by the MPO as regional candidates:

• A project to convert Interstate 64’s interchange with Fifth Street into a diverging-diamond had been estimated at $44.7 million but the final estimate has been reduced to $39.4 million. (learn more)
• A project to increase the capacity of the on-ramp from Old Ivy Road to U.S. 29 northbound / U.S. 250 eastbound went from $13.865 million to $20.58 million. Lowery said there is a $500,000 proffer associated with the (learn more)
• A project to increase the capacity of the on-ramp from Ivy Road onto U.S. 29 southbound / U.S. 250 westbound increased from $10.66 million to $11.4 million. (learn more)
• A project to increase capacity of turn lanes from U.S. 29 northbound / U.S. 250 eastbound onto Barracks Road and add sidewalks on the south side of Barracks road more than doubled in cost from nearly $21.4 million to around $46.25 million. Lowery said the major factor is right of way acquisition. (learn more)

VDOT has other funding sources localities can use to pursue projects. They are the Revenue Sharing program and the Transportation Alternatives program.

Albemarle County had three projects funded in the most recent revenue sharing cycle. They are $2.875 million for bike and pedestrian improvements on Berkmar Drive, $234,834 toward a project to build sidewalks on portions of Commonwealth Drive and Dominion Drive, and $3.9 million toward a new road connection extending Berkmar Drive to Airport Road.

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