From August 21, 2024, 9:39 a.m.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE NOW) – If you drive through the intersection of Hydraulic Road and US 29, be warned: Starting Monday, August 26, you will need to adjust your route. Left turns from Hydraulic Road onto US 29 will no longer be allowed. This traffic change is just one part of a larger project to improve the US 29 and Hydraulic Road area.
What is changing:
- No more left turns: After Sunday evening, you will no longer be able to turn left from Hydraulic Road onto US 29 from any direction.
- New traffic flow: You can still go straight or turn right onto US 29. If you need to go north or south on US 29, you will need to take a different route.
- Heading east on Hydraulic: To go north on US 29, go straight and use the new roundabout at Hillsdale Drive to turn around
- West on Hydraulic: To head south on US 29, turn onto Hillsdale Drive and follow it to Seminole Court or make a U-turn at the Seminole Court intersection.
What is added:
- New roundabout: The roundabout at Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive is now open. This will improve the new traffic flow and make the area easier to navigate.
- Pedestrian Safety: VDOT is adding crosswalks, pedestrian signals and street lighting at the intersection to increase pedestrian safety. There will also be a pedestrian island to provide pedestrians with a safe place in the middle of the road.
- Access Changes: Improvements will be made to how you enter and exit Hydraulic Road at the Brandywine Drive and Michie Drive locations. This should help alleviate some of the traffic issues in those areas.
- Future pedestrian bridge: A pedestrian bridge over US 29 near Zan Road is also being planned. It will include bus stops and make it easier for people to cross safely.
Why it happens:
All of these changes are part of a $24 million project funded through the SMART SCALE program that aims to reduce congestion, improve safety, and make it easier to walk, bike, or ride the bus in the area.
Hear Will Stowe, VDOT’s project manager responsible for the changes, talk to Jay James about the project:
The full VDOT press release can be found below:
TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGES AT HYDRAULIC ROAD AND US 29
Left turns from Hydraulic Road onto US 29 will be prohibited starting August 26
CULPEPER — Beginning Monday morning, August 26, drivers at the intersection of Route 743 (Hydraulic Road) and US 29 (Seminole Trail) in the City of Charlottesville will experience a significant traffic change. Left turns from Hydraulic Road eastbound and westbound onto US 29 (Seminole Trail) will be eliminated.
During the night of Sunday, August 25, workers will reconfigure the traffic signals to accommodate the new traffic pattern. During this work, drivers should use caution when approaching the intersection, obey all traffic laws, and be alert for workers in and around the lanes.
The new traffic pattern will be in effect until rush hour Monday morning. In the new configuration, only through traffic and right turns will be allowed on Hydraulic Road at US 29.
After the reconfiguration, eastbound drivers on Hydraulic Road wishing to turn north onto US 29 can instead cross the intersection, use the new roundabout at Hillsdale Drive to make a U-turn, and then turn north onto US 29.
Drivers wishing to head south on westbound Hydraulic Road can instead turn right onto Hillsdale Drive toward Seminole Court, turn left, and then turn left again to join southbound US 29. Alternatively, drivers can go straight through the new roundabout and turn right onto northbound US 29, then turn around at the Seminole Court intersection to join southbound US 29.
Drivers using the intersection of Hydraulic Road and US 29 should allow for additional travel time while VDOT works to calibrate the traffic light patterns.
The traffic pattern changes on Hydraulic Road and US 29 will help reduce congestion along the US 29 corridor. In addition to reconfiguring the traffic lights, VDOT will install:
- a pedestrian protection island,
- ADA ramps,
- Street lighting at zebra crossings,
- and pedestrian traffic light poles and zebra crossings on the southern section of the intersection and the approaches to Hydraulic Road are intended to improve mobility and safety for pedestrians.
The redesigned intersection is one of four traffic improvements combined into a single design-build project to improve congestion, safety and multimodal access in the area. Other project elements include:
- the recently completed roundabout at Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive,
- the ongoing improvements to regulate access to Hydraulic Road westbound at the intersections of Brandywine Drive and Michie Drive,
- and a pedestrian bridge over US 29 with bus stops for future service near Zan Road.
The traffic improvements will be funded through the SMART SCALE process for a total of $24 million. For more information on the project elements, see “Traffic Improvements for Hydraulic Road and US 29.”
For up-to-date information on Culpeper District activities, visit the district’s Facebook page and Twitter account, @VaDOTCulp. For questions or to report hazardous road conditions, the public should contact VDOT’s 24/7 Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).
Current traffic conditions, VDOT’s statewide network of traffic cameras, and other real-time travel information can be found on the 511Virginia website. This information is also available through the free VDOT 511 mobile app or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia.
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VDOT’s Culpeper District includes Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties. The independent city of Charlottesville maintains its own roads.
