MPO Submits Funding Request for Exit 118 Improvements

In 2014, Governor McAuliffe signed into law a new process for selecting and funding transportation projects throughout the State. The new legislation (§ 33.1-23.5:5), still referred to as House Bill 2 Prioritization, was a reaction to deep-rooted challenges with Virginia’s transportation funding process, where political decisions sometimes prevented the most critical transportation projects from moving forward. In contrast with past years, the House Bill 2 process will bring greater transparency to funding decisions, by scoring projects based on set criteria and highlighting the most cost-effective investments.

This was the first year of submitting projects during this new system. For the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, the top priority project was Exit 118, the interchange of Interstate 64 and US 29. As a top priority project, local officials requested that the MPO request funding to improve the interchange. The application will go through the new process and be scored with projects across the Commonwealth.

The proposal at Exit 118 would include a diverging diamond interchange with grade separated crossings at the crossover locations. Compared with other options, this approach is the most cost-effective way at increasing capacity and improving safety at the ramps. There would also be improvements to a bridge to the east that spans a railroad and Moore’s Creek. There would be improvements to the Fontaine Interchange as well, just to the north. The design and evaluation came from a 2013 study by Baker Consultants, funded by VDOT.

VDOT is currently engaged in a validation process, to determine whether submitted projects are eligible for funding under the new system. Projects will be scored and ranked this winter, with final funding decisions made in the spring of 2016. The region will have to wait until then to find out if the Exit 118 improvements will be approved.

For questions about the Exit 118 submission or the new funding process, please contact Will Cockrell at wcockrell@tjpdc.org or (434) 422-4823.