In July, C-VILLE reported that the Jefferson Park Avenue (JPA) Bridge—making drivers and pedestrians slightly nervous since 2007—was headed towards a 16-month, $10.5 million renovation. Now, according to Charlottesville Tomorrow, construction will be quicker and cheaper than previously reported, with a projected March 2012 completion date and a construction bid awarded to a Lexington, Kentucky-based company that will do the job for $5.8 million.
However, a quick road to a renovated JPA Bridge may slow progress on a similar project: a Belmont Bridge renovation. Money set aside for the Belmont Bridge—approximately $1.2 million of the $5.3 million set aside—will be used to fund the JPA Bridge renovation. Projections for the Belmont Bridge renovation put construction costs at $9.2 million.
Is one bridge renovation more pressing than the other? Weigh in below!