Eastern Connector

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20071214ecmap 2.jpg

Planned

Project Overview

1. Provide for traffic flow between 250 E and 29 N
2. Ease congestion on 250 bypass, Park Street, Rio Road, and Meadowcreek Parkway
Cost $9,000,000 (for engineering only)
Sponsor Albemarle, Charlottesville

Status Update

The Eastern Connector Corridor Location study has finished its work. The steering committee recommended an alignment that would connect Rio Road with Route 20 via Pen Park. The committee also recommended that two other alternatives (Polo Grounds Road and a relocation of Proffit Road) be reserved now for development as roads in the near future. However, both the Board of Supervisors and the City Council have both opted to delay further consideration on the road until further traffic data can be obtained to prove the need for the road.

Website Project Website]

The Eastern Connector is a dormant proposal for a roadway or series of transportation improvements anticipated as part of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)'s UnJAM 2025 Plan. The MPO secured $250,000 to further study the environmental effects of one alignment to see if it could be included in the 2014 update of the long-range plan. [1] That project was known as the Eco-Logical Pilot Project - Free Bridge Congestion Relief.

Project Details

The project was rendered dormant after the conclusion of a $500,000 study jointly paid for by Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. The firm PBSJ was hired as the consultant for the study, with Lewis Grimm serving as project manager. Both the City Council and Board of Supervisors agreed that more data on traffic patterns was necessary, as well as more information on how the road might be funded. [2]

The project was overseen by a steering committee that met nearly a dozen times to discuss the road.

Several potential routes were under consideration over the course of the study. Three were recommended as potential alternatives:

  1. Proffit Road between Route 29 and Route 20;
  2. Polo Grounds Road to Route 20; and
  3. A new road near Pen Park connecting Rio Road to the Route 20 area near Pantops.

The stated purpose of the Eastern Connector is: 1) provide for traffic flow between 250 E and 29 N 2) Ease congestion on the 250 Bypass, Park Street, Rio Road, and Meadowcreek Parkway.

Status

The final report was published in March 2009.

History

The study got underway in the summer of 2006 with the formation of the steering committee. [3]

At one point, a route through Pen Park was considered as an option. [4]

In December 2007, they asked the consultant to provide more data on the traffic modeling information that was presented to the public. [5]

The Steering Committee met on February 8, 2008. According to the MPO's February 2008 transportation project tracking document, PBSJ was directed to to conduct additional evaluation on alternatives for the next steering committee meeting. The committee also requested the consultant to evaluate an alternative south of Rt. 250 and to consider optimizations to Rt. 250.

References

  1. Web. TJPDC to study environmental effects of Eastern Connector, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, May 22, 2013, retrieved June 3, 2013.
  2. Web. City Council follows Supervisors’ example and puts Eastern Connector on hold, Sean Tubbs, News Article, Charlottesville Tomorrow, July 6, 2009, retrieved January 11, 2021.
  3. Web. MPO discusses Eastern Connector, Brian Wheeler, News Article, Charlottesville Tomorrow, July 22, 2006, retrieved January 11, 2019.
  4. Web. Pen Park route for Eastern Connector back on the table, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, Octover 9, 2007, retrieved May 7, 2021.
  5. Web. Eastern Connector Committee wants more data, Sean Tubbs, News Article, Charlottesville Tomorrow, December 18, 2007, retrieved January 11, 2021.

External links

Albemarle County Eastern Connector Page