U.S. 29 Corridor Study
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As of 2011, the Virginia Department of Transportation is conducting a corridor wide study of U.S. 29 from the North Carolina border to Gainesville, Virginia. The study is being conducted by the Parsons Transportation Group. Originally expected to be ready by November 2009, a final report has recently[when?] had its deadline extended until October 20, 2010[1].
Portions of Albemarle County’s Places29 Master Plan process are to be included in the corridor study[2].
Purpose
The US 29 corridor through Virginia connects three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (Danville, Lynchburg and MPO) in Central and Southern Virginia, with long stretches of rural areas in between. In addition to providing a corridor for long distance travel, US 29 also serves a local function in each urbanized area.
Charlie Rasnick with VDOT said at a February 9, 2009 meeting in Albemarle County that one goal of the study will be to find a way to either encourage or mandate jurisdictions along US 29 to alter their comprehensive plans in order to restrict access management, basically the connection of new roads and driveways.
Western Bypass right of way
At the February 9, 2009 meeting, Supervisor Ken Boyd asked if the Western Bypass would be considered as part of the study. Joe Springer with the Parsons Transportation Group said the “existing right-of-way is a fact and there may be some way to use that.”
Morgan Butler of the Southern Environmental Law Center asked if it were possible for other projects to be funded through the sale of the right-of-way. Rasnick responded that VDOT doesn’t want to eliminate the option of using the right of way to build a road, but that he is trying to be realistic.
“The bypass would not function today as it was envisioned when it was first planned back in the 1970’s,” Rasnick said. “We don’t anticipate building that bypass. Now, we are going to look at it and see if there is right of way that we can use… We don’t know that yet.”
When a preliminary study was released in the summer of 2009, many in Albemarle County were alarmed that the study would in fact recommend using right-of-way purchased for the western bypass. The recommendation was to extend Leonard Sandridge Road north of U.S. 29/250. After a public outcry and a resolution from the Board of Supervisors, the proposal was taken out of the study[3].
Notes
- ↑ Commonwealth of Virginia. Commonwealth Transportation Board. Route 29 Corridor Study - A Resolution to Extend the Date for Reporting on the Additional Work Directed by the Board. Vol. June 16, 2010. Web. 21 June 2010. <http://www.ctb.virginia.gov/resources/2010/June/Resolutions/New_Business_1_Rt_29_CTB_Resolution.pdf>.
- ↑ Tubbs, Sean J. "US 29 corridor study to consider use of western bypass right-of-way." Weblog post. Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. Charlottesville Tomorrow, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 24 July 2009. <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/02/29_corridor_study.html>.
- ↑ Tubbs, Sean. "New VDOT Study of U.S. 29 Recommends Use of Western Bypass Route and New Elevated Connector in City’s Hydraulic Rd Area." Charlottesville Tomorrow News Center. 29 Sept. 2009. Web. 21 June 2010. <http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/09/new_roads_recommendation.html>.