RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Jim Jennings 540-839-7537 Jim.Jennings@VirginiaDOT.org

CULP-12 March 6, 2003

Public hearing set for Meadow Creek Parkway design

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will hold an open forum public hearing March 20 to present design plans for the 1.3 mile long Meadow Creek Parkway, running from Melbourne Road to Route 631 – Rio Road.

The hearing will be held at the Albemarle County Office Building, 401 McIntire Road, from 5 – 7 p.m.

The project is phase two of the Meadow Creek Parkway. The first phase --McIntire Road extension-- was approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board on December 18, 2001. That project runs from the existing McIntire Road, through the interchange at the Rt. 250 Bypass to Melbourne Road.

The second phase begins at Melbourne Road, runs north around the Charlottesville High School athletic facilities and continues parallel with the railroad tracks. After crossing Meadow Creek, the road shifts to the east around the Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical School (CATEC) and joins the existing Rio Road.

Current traffic counts show, on average, 21,000 vehicles per day drive on Rio Road, with projections showing 44,000 vehicles on that road by 2023.


The total cost of the second phase of the Meadow Creek Parkway is estimated at $14 million. If approved, VDOT could begin acquiring right-of-way for the project by this summer.

Directions to the hearing: Take either Rt. 29 or I-64 to the Rt. 250/29 bypass. At the intersection of the bypass and McIntire, turn onto McIntire and go about a mile to the county office building on the right.