After being closed for several years, the lane near the Brooks Family YMCA is scheduled to reopen late this fall.
While many Charlottesville residents link the lane closure with the YMCA, the project is actually associated with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Charlottesville Department of Parks & Recreation, due to its ties to McIntire Park. The construction runs alongside the 250 bypass interchange at the transition of Rugby Avenue and McIntire Park Drive, so the lane closure significantly narrows the road in an area of high traffic.
Originally closed during the construction of a railroad bridge, the lane has remained closed because of construction on the bridge supporting the 250 bypass. While the infrastructure update to the bridge was completed two months ago, the road has remained closed for additional project considerations, according to park planner Chris Gensic.
As a result, the lane continues to be blocked despite a lack of current construction.
During the construction of the railroad bridge in 2017, VDOT granted funds to ensure safe pedestrian and bicycle routes through the interchange area. To accomplish this, the city will build a “shared use paved trail from Westwood Drive to the new railroad bridge,” says Gensic. With the support of city engineering and traffic staff, Gensic is serving as both the grant and project manager for the trail.
“The original project was to just convert the sidewalk to a 10-foot trail into the park from the neighborhood,” says Gensic. “When the lane closure was done for the bridge project, the city was asked to explore an option where all vehicle traffic could remain on the one side and the trail might be widened and include more green space and trees.”
While the city considered closing the lane permanently, the plan to widen the trail using the lane was scrapped due to utility issues and public preference for the original traffic pattern. “The trail project is going to bid for construction next month and should be complete by Thanksgiving,” says Gensic. “Once it’s complete the barriers will be removed and [the] traffic pattern restored.”
However, more construction on the road may come in the future.
“The neighborhood also asked to add some intersection improvements, including a four-way stop to help control traffic speed and the road curves in the interchange area as cars pass,” says Gensic. With no design plan or funding allocated yet, the timeline for this construction is still unknown.
On top of the potential road change, the city hopes “to extend [the] trail over to the YMCA and then west to Meadowbrook Heights to join the 250 bypass trail to Route 29,” according to Gensic.
For now, Gensic says the road will return to its original traffic pattern, with the barriers blocking the lane to be removed this fall or winter.