Hillsdale Drive Safety Improvements

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Medians were installed as part of the project

Albemarle County has completed a series of improvements to Hillsdale Drive in order to help its ability to serve as part of the county's road network. The goal was to increase pedestrian safety in an area frequented extensively by walkers and bikers including a significant number of senior citizens.

Improvements included the creation of two pedestrian signaled crosswalks. One was built across Rio Road joining Northfield Road and Hillsdale Drive and the second one was built crossing Hillsdale at the intersection of Rio Road and Hillsdale.

Also included was the construction of 1,500 feet of new sidewalk on Greenbrier Drive and extending east on Hillsdale Drive toward Rio Road and ending at Mall Drive, including three lighted landscaped crosswalks. There are also new sidewalks on Old Brook Road and along the Fashion Square Mall on Rio Road.

New medians were designed to slow traffic on Hillsdale along with providing a refuge in the median with hand rails to provide safe crossing.

Construction got underway in November 2009 and was completed in July 2010. Over half of the $500,000 project was funded by a federal safety grant[1].

The plans for the improvements date back to meetings held at the Senior Center in 2002 and 2003. Ideas from citizens were included in a grant application made by the County. The project was originally supposed to be complete by 2007, but several issues delayed the project[2].

Notes

  1. "Official County of Albemarle Web Site." Albemarle County, Virginia - Official Web Site. Web. 17 Aug. 2010. <http://www.albemarle.org/navpages.asp?info=release&ID=11704>.
  2. Senior Center Website