More than eight years after the Virginia Department of Transportation awarded a grant for construction of a shared-use path along Rugby Avenue by the Route 250 bypass, the project is nearing completion.
The 10-foot-wide path, and a return to the original traffic pattern along Rugby Avenue, will be finished by the end of August. The current flow, which has both directions of traffic on the same side of the median as drivers pass under the bypass, was meant to be a short-term measure while work continued on the pedestrian bike bridge over the railroad line in McIntire Park.
Construction on the bridge began in March of 2018 and concluded in April 2019.
Rather than immediately returning to the normal pattern, the city kept the former northbound lane closed while it considered making the new pattern permanent, allowing for an alternative use of the space. Potential options for the northbound lane included the creation of a promenade, but feedback from community members ultimately led the city to return to its original plan.
“The initial idea was to just widen the sidewalk, like we’re doing,” says Chris Gensic, parks and trails planner for Charlottesville Parks & Recreation. “If we want to add other stuff later, we can, but because this is funded by the state and the federal highway administration, we want to hurry up and spend that money and get at least the trail in.”
Work on the shared-use path is moving swiftly, according to Project Manager Eric Morris, with a concrete curb currently being installed along the east side of Rugby Avenue.
“We are very pleased to have this project underway,” says Morris. “It has been a long process, and I am confident that pedestrians and cyclists will be very happy once the trail is open.”
Once completed, the widened path will open to both pedestrians and cyclists, creating a link between the Rose Hill and Rugby neighborhoods to the in-progress 250 bypass trail. The trail will eventually connect the John Warner Parkway to Hydraulic Road through McIntire Park.
“This will make travel into McIntire Park more pleasant for families and groups of people, wide strollers, and bicycles, which currently do not have a dedicated space through the interchange,” says Gensic. Other elements of the project include a curb extension, which will add a grass buffer between the shared-use path and vehicle traffic.
No funds have been spent on the construction of the shared-use path at press time. The estimated cost of the project is $590,000 for the contract, with an additional $100,000 spent on engineering and design work, according to Gensic.
While the pathway portion of the project may be completed within 30 days, Gensic says the city is considering additional safety measures that would require traffic pattern adjustments.
“Traffic safety improvements on the south side of the bypass … may include a four-way stop and pedestrian crosswalk improvements,” says Gensic. “Public Works is assisting with project management and will also coordinate on the traffic improvements later.”
Traffic along Rugby Avenue near the 250 bypass will return to its original pattern in late August 2025, following the completion of the shared-use path. Supplied photo.
