The much-awaited decision of the City Council to approve the redesigned Jefferson Park Avenue bridge is finally here.
Last night, in a unanimous decision, members of City Council approved the design proposal submitted by VDOT. The width of the bridge was set at 67 feet and not the Council’s preferred 60 feet. Brent Sprinkel, VDOT’s preliminary engineering manager for the Culpeper District, said the department revised the design and made the bridge as narrow as possible.
The bridge will feature sidewalks and bike lanes, in accordance with the wishes of both City Council and the Fry’s Spring Neighborhood Association (FSNA), and at its approved size, will be able to accommodate incoming, outgoing and turning traffic.
“I’d like to see it smaller,” said Councilor David Brown. “But I am comfortable with what it is.” Peter Hedlund, president of the FSNA said the neighborhood wanted a design that wouldn’t overwhelm the area. “We want to make sure this reflects the residential nature of our neighborhood,” he said.
The 1932 bridge has a federal sufficiency rating of 2 out of 100 and was identified as deficient in 1980 and has been inspected annually since then. In 1990 it was added to VDOT’s Six-Year Improvement plan and is now fully funded. Jeanette Janiczek, Charlottesville’s VDOT project manager, said the bridge needs to be replaced as soon as possible. “It’s a failing infrastructure.”
Work on the bridge is expected to begin in 2010 with a completion date set for 2011.