Route 250 Bypass

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The Route 250 Bypass is the largely limited-access portion of U.S. Route 250 north of the business route. The four-lane highway runs east-west through the city of Charlottesville between Hydraulic Road and the Albemarle County boundary at Free Bridge.


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History

City Council approved a general alignment for the bypass in 1947 and survey work began in March 1948. [1] A survey undertaken by the Chamber of Commerce around this time was sent to 175 businesses and only 75 responded. Of these, 41 were opposed to the bypass and 34 were in favor. [2] The alignment on the eastern is still known as Long Street.

This portion was widened in the early 1990's. City Council considered purchasing some of the homes that were purchased by the Virginia Department of Transportation for the widening. [3] Three homes that had been taken through eminent domain by VDOT were later deemed to be habitable. There was a proposal to use these as rental houses for families with moderate incomes. Access would have to travel through Burnley-Moran Elementary School. [4]

This is the 250 bypass today with the median running nest to St Clair Ave on both sides of the highway.  Before the 1990s the highway was an open intersection. In 1993 a median would be put up dividing the highway.

A project to replace Free Bridge was undertaken in the early 1990's. [5] For most of the 20th Century up until the early 1990s there was a highway intersection that occurred along St Clair Ave and went across the 250 bypass. This intersection ran perpendicular to what is now Long Street. Cars from both sides of St Clair would be able to cross the Highway as an intersection. It was not until around 1993 that a median would be put up dividing the high way

Challenges to speed limit

The speed limit on the road is sign-posted at 35 miles per hour. In the spring of 2012, six motorists who received speeding tickets filed a motion to have their violations dismissed because the speed limit is artificially low. The plaintiffs want to be able to see a copy of a 1967 engineering study which was conducted in order to have the speed limit set at 35 mph as opposed to the 55 mph the road is designed for. [6]

Interchanges and intersections

From west to east, access to the bypass is from the following exchanges:

References

  1. Web. Work on Bypass Survey to Begin, Staff Reports, Daily Progress Digitized Microfilm, Lindsay family, March 10, 1948, retrieved December 12, 2016 from University of Virginia Library. Print. March 10, 1948 page 3.
  2. Web. Alternate Street Bus Stops Urged, Staff Reports, Daily Progress Digitized Microfilm, Lindsay family, March 26, 1948, retrieved December 23, 2016 from University of Virginia Library. Print. March 26, 1948 page 3.
  3. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, April 15, 1991.. . Also available in older archive.
  4. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, May 20, 1991.. . Also available in older archive.
  5. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, June 17, 1991.. . Also available in older archive.
  6. Web. Accused speeders demand to see city study that set speed limit, Daily Progress Staff Reports, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, April 4, 2012, retrieved April 10, 2012.