Hillsdale Drive Extension

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Hillsdale Drive Extension
Hillsdale.jpg
A rendering of the proposed Hillsdale Drive Extended

Planned

Project Overview

Relieve congestion on Route 29 and the Route 29/Hydraulic Road intersection
Cost $30,549,000
Sponsor Charlottesville
Next meeting Winter 2010 Design Public Hearing

Status Update

Right of way acquisition, waiting to accrue construction funds

Website Project Website
VDOT Dashboard [1]
Contact Jeanette Janiczek, VDOT Program Manager, Charlottesville

The Hillsdale Drive Extension is a planned roadway to create another north-south route from Albemarle County's urban section to the city of Charlottesville, parallel to U.S. Route 29. The stated purpose of the project is to relieve congestion on Route 29 and its Hydraulic Road intersection.

The project's proposed cost is over $30 million. It is being overseen by the Charlottesville's Neighborhood Development Services Department as part of the Urban Construction Initiative. The project manager is Jeanette Janiczek[citation needed]. A portion of the road is being privately funded[1].

The engineering firm of McCormick Taylor, Inc, has been hired by the city to lead the project. They are in charge of design, environmental assessments, right-of-way negotiations, and construction management.

Advertisement for construction is not expected to occur until at least August 2018.

Route

The project will connect a section of Greenbrier Drive to Hydraulic Road, through the Seminole Square Shopping Center to Hillsdale Drive. The southern terminus of the road is being designed as part of the proposed Whole Foods project on Hydraulic[2]. As of December 2009 that section of the road is under construction[1].

Conflict with Regal Cinema expansion

The future of the road's alignment is in question due to Regal Entertainment Group's plan to upgrade and expand the Seminole 4 movie theater. Regal announced plans in May 2009 to upgrade its Regal Cinema 4 theater, located behind the K-Mart shopping center. Plans include expansion into the parking lot to add five additional screens, new stadium seating & digital projection equipment. It had been expected that the existing theater would be demolished, at least in part, to make way for the road project[3].

Timeline

  • November 4, 2004: A location public hearing held at the Senior Center
  • March 7, 2005: City Council passes resolution approving Alignment "C"[citation needed]
  • April 6, 2005: Board of Supervisors passes resolution approving Alignment "C"[citation needed]
  • April 2006: Location study completed and FONSI approved it April 2006.
  • November 18, 2007: The Steering Committee holds fourth meeting[4].
  • December 20, 2008: Daily Progress reports funding for the project will not be available until at least FY2015, putting project outside of VDOT's Six-Year Improvement Plan[5].
  • A design public hearing is tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2009[6]. However, that time has since passed and a meeting has yet to be scheduled.
  • Mid-December 2009: Construction of first phase begins, to support new Whole Foods[1]

Safety Improvements

Main article: Hillsdale Drive Safety Improvements

Albemarle County is administering a separate project to add pedestrian crossings to sections of the existing Hillsdale Drive in the County. The first phase of that project is expected to be completed in 2009, but has been delayed multiple times. These improvements were called for by the Senior Center and its members[7].


Map

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Web. Development - Red dirt alert!, Cedermark, Andrew, C-VILLE Weekly, 15 Dec. 2009, retrieved 15 Dec. 2009.
  2. Web. "Commission wants “holistic approach” to new Whole Foods store.", Tubbs, Sean J, Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center, Charlottesville Tomorrow, 14 Mar. 2008, retrieved 2 July 2009.
  3. Web. "Regal Cinema to be upgraded in path of proposed Hillsdale Drive extension.", Wheeler, Brian A., Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center, Charlottesville Tomorrow, 1 May 2009, retrieved 2 July 2009..
  4. Web. "Hillsdale Drive runs into post office concerns and a second movie theater.", Wheeler, Brian A, Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center, Charlottesville Tomorrow, 13 Nov. 2007, retrieved 5 July 2009.
  5. Web. Road projects in region hit speed bump, Rachana Dixit, Daily Progress, Media General, December 20, 2008
  6. Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization. Area Transportation Projects Project Status Matrix. Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, 16 June 2009. Web. 2 July 2009. <http://www.tjpdc.org/agendas_and_minutes/mpoTech/09_06_23/June09_Project%20Tracking.pdf>.
  7. Senior Center website

External links