For U.S. 29, a flatter future lies ahead

VDOT, advisory group reach consensus on problem intersection

By James Ivancic, Times Staff Writer

If all goes according to plan, those problematic hills on U.S. 29 near Vint Hill Road could be a thing of the past as early as next summer.

Blocked sightlines along that stretch of the busy roadway have led to accidents. Taking out the hills or “humps” was a solution that gained traction during meetings the Virginia Department of Transportation has been having with the U.S. 29 New Baltimore Advisory Panel, a group representing residents, businesses and others to explore options for fixing the road.

A timetable for work to start emerged during the Nov. 29 meeting of the group in Warrenton.

A section of northbound U.S. 29 outside Warrenton could be closed to traffic for three weeks next summer so that two hills approaching the intersection with Vint Hill Road can be reduced.

The contractor to be hired would receive financial incentives to speed the work along and cut the time northbound U.S. 29 would be blocked to traffic, explained Garrett Moore, VDOT’s chief engineer who has been moderating the panel’s meetings.

Southbound traffic on U.S. 29 will be unaffected.

Fauquier County Supervisor Holder Trumbo (Scott) noted the short-term pain ahead for businesses affected by the three-week traffic diversion.

“Change doesn’t come without some cost. I don’t think the businesses will die, but we want to make it as manageable as possible,” Trumbo said. “In the end, we’ll all be better for it.”

Analyses on impacts to the environment, historic resources and storm water management still must be done before on-site work can start.

There will have to be a federal “Section 106” review, which is required by the National Historic Preservation Act. The project area is on ground fought over during the Civil War.

Moore will have a progress report to share with the committee when it next meets on Jan. 24.

If a summer northbound shutdown is in the offing, the public will be notified as early as February, Moore said.

“There will be some pain to it,” Moore said. “If we plan it right, it’s best that the Band-Aid be ripped off rather than drawn out.”

No objections were raised by advisory committee members. Moore said he talked earlier to two homeowner’s association groups and to a broader community group and said “a lot of good questions” were asked “but no pushback” was received.

Ike Broaddus, co-owner of Old Bust Head Brewing Company at Vint Hill and a member of the Route 29 committee, said there is interest in protecting land and being careful around the existing right of way.

“We want to make sure there is an archaeological consultant involved,” Broaddus said.

“We’re going to keep the footprint as tight as we can” in order to reduce costs and taking up time to negotiate a wider right-of-way, Moore said.

Besides reducing two of three humps along the road, the work to improve the intersection with Vint Hill Road will include adding a second left-turn lane onto Vint Hill from U.S. 29 south at the intersection’s traffic signal.

A second right-turn lane from Vint Hill Road onto northbound U.S. 29 will also be added.

The Vint Hill Road intersection project will be bid as a single project with planned improvements to the U.S. 29 intersection with Broad Run Church Road/Beverleys Mill Road, also known as Va. 600. The Vint Hill work will proceed first.

VDOT plans a right-turn acceleration lane onto southbound U.S. 29 from Beverleys Mill Road. There would be a right-turn lane added onto northbound U.S. 29 from Broad Run Church Road and a left-turn lane onto southbound U.S. 29 with a combination through/left-turn lane next to it.

Earlier plans for the intersections were shelved after community opposition and a request by the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors that VDOT step back and reconsider. The Route 29 New Baltimore Advisory Panel was formed to come up with a consensus solution.

Reach James Ivancic at jivancic@fauquier.com.