With a 3-2 vote, last night City Council approved a resolution to move forward with the design of the 250 Interchange between the 250 Bypass and McIntire Road, part of the Meadowcreek Parkway project.
Mayor Dave Norris, who with Councilor Holly Edwards voted against the resolution, said that while he was not in favor of the project in general terms, he appreciated the efforts of Councilor David Brown to make the interchange as safe as possible.
The approved design is a signalized diamond with the smallest ramp configuration possible. The current design has been modified to reflect, to some degree, the concerns of the community and of Council—mostly concerning the environmental impact the project will have on McIntire Park and surrounding areas.
Jim Tolbert, director of Neighborhood Development Services, said that on November 24, city staff met with members of the Rivanna Trail Foundation to discuss the arrangement of trail along the proposed project.
Ultimately, the interchange will have a multi-use trail on both sides of the road, which, Tolbert said, honors the neighborhoods’ desire.
As requested by councilors when the design of the interchange was last discussed, the pedestrian bridge was considered, but not added.
Tolbert told council that according to a study, the added travel distance for pedestrians to walk across the bridge would discourage many residents to use said bridge.
According to Tolbert, a pedestrian bridge is “not warranted at this time” and “not a wise investment,” adding that construction costs for the bridge would be around $1 million.
