CULPEPER DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION UPDATE / FALL 2017

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1 CULPEPER DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION UPDATE / FALL 17

2 From the District Engineer: In 17, the Culpeper District successfully delivered several large projects that have been years in the making. In Culpeper County, the Route 3 widening and the grade separation of Route 29 and Route 666 mark the accomplishment of two significant projects that will improve safety for local drivers as well as travelers. Both projects were a priority for the county and for VDOT. Also in Culpeper the final section of Route 229 was widened to four lanes, completing that multi-phase improvement. In Albemarle County, construction of the Route 29 Solutions design-build projects was completed almost four months early and under the project budget. The district continues its focus on maintaining the existing highway network, with 82 percent of our interstate and primary highways and 96 percent of our bridges in good condition. We are implementing new technologies and resources, such as advanced traffic signal controllers on Route 29 and permissive flashing yellow left-turn signals, to more efficiently move traffic. In everything we do the district s employees model our values trust, integrity and respect while also keeping safety as the number one priority. Our work affects almost everyone who lives, works or travels in the district every day, and we realize that dedication to safety must extend beyond our own activities to those whose lives we touch daily. We encourage that same dedication from the motoring public by obeying speed limits, buckling their seat belts, not being distracted by texting or cell phone use while driving and respecting emergency responders by moving over when approaching those vehicles on the roadside. The projects, activities and achievements summarized in the pages of this Transportation Update would not have been realized without the work of the dedicated employees of VDOT s Culpeper District as well as the support of our contracting partners, our state and local elected officials and staff and the communities they represent. Thank you for that support, and we look forward to continued success in the future. John D. Lynch, P.E. Culpeper District Engineer 2 VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION \\ CULPEPER DISTRICT

3 RIO ROAD GRADE-SEPARATED INTERSECTION PAGE 13 Contents District Overview District Map 4 Contacts 5 Safety Workplace Safety 6 Highway Safety 7 District Performance Project Performance 8 SMART SCALE Projects 9 Bridges 1 Pavement 11 Project Updates Route 29 Solutions 12 Albemarle County 17 Charlottesville 21 Culpeper County 24 Fauquier County 28 Fluvanna County 35 Greene County 37 Louisa County 39 Madison County 41 Orange County 43 Rappahannock County 45 ROUTE 3 WIDENING PAGE 25 CONWAY RIVER BRIDGE PAGE 41 TRANSPORTATION UPDATE // FALL 17 3

4 DISTRICT OVERVIEW Culpeper District Map 5 CULPEPER DISTRICT The Plains RAPPAHANNOCK Washington 729 Rappahannock FAUQUIER Marshall Warrenton Residency Warrenton Warrenton MADISON Madison CULPEPER 729 West Culpeper Culpeper Culpeper District Remington 651 Bealeton Yancey Millse ALBEMARLE Charlottesville Free Union 33 Scottsville 81 Stanardsville GREENE Keenee Stanardsville Charlottesville Residency Boyd Tavern Madison Palmyrae Zion Crossroads FLUVANNA 614 Orange Gordonsville Gordonsville Columbia ORANGE Louisa Residency 22 Louisa 8 LOUISA Rhoadesville Mineral 618 Cuckoo Charlottesville Residency Louisa Residency Warrenton Residency District Office Residency Office Area Headquarters Interstate U.S. Virginia Primary Secondary MILES 5 1 VDOT - COMMUNICATIONS - CARTOGRAPHY - 6/16 - # VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION \\ CULPEPER DISTRICT

5 DISTRICT OVERVIEW Contact Us EXECUTIVE STAFF John D. Lynch, P.E. District Engineer David Pearce, P.E. District Maintenance Engineer Ken Connors, P.E. District Project Development and Construction Engineer Vacant as of Oct. 1 Assistant District Administrator for Business, Programming and Investment Management To be announced RESIDENCIES CHARLOTTESVILLE LOUISA WARRENTON Joel DeNunzio, P.E. Charlottesville Residency Engineer Covering Albemarle, Greene and Madison counties Joel.DeNunzio@VDOT.virginia.gov E. Alan Saunders, P.E. Louisa Residency Engineer Covering Fluvanna, Louisa and Orange counties Alan.Saunders@VDOT.virginia.gov D. Mark Nesbit, P.E. Warrenton Residency Engineer Covering Culpeper, Fauquier and Rappahannock counties Daniel.Nesbit@VDOT.virginia.gov TRANSPORTATION UPDATE // FALL 17 5

6 SAFETY Excellence in Workplace Safety Culpeper District is the proud winner of the inaugural Chief Engineer s Safety Excellence (CESE) Award. In 15, VDOT embarked on a new, proactive approach to workforce safety, modeled after some of the industry s leading safety programs, and at its root is the CESE Award. The cup represents the district s commitment to building a safety culture through increased engagement. The result? Everyone from employees to the traveling public wins. As a result of the CESE competition, Culpeper District: Implemented 24 employee ideas to address observed safety deficiencies or hazards, Had a 9 percent completion rate on basic training courses, including CPR and fire extinguisher use, and Produced 3 safety videos that encouraged creativity and collaboration to highlight prevention of common injuries and accidents. Right, top: Hands-on fire extinguisher training prepares employees for emergencies at work and home. Right, middle: Painting wheel chocks bright orange makes them easier to see in low-light conditions, meaning they re less likely to become a tripping hazard. Right, bottom: Culpeper District equipment now sports these move over law bumper stickers as a reminder to motorists. Below: Gordonsville Area Headquarters staff celebrates clenching the CESE cup. 6 VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION \\ CULPEPER DISTRICT

7 SAFETY Highway Safety & Operations As of Oct. 1, traffic deaths have occurred on the roads of the Culpeper District this year a sizeable 38 percent increase over the same point in 16. VDOT reviews each fatal crash, with special attention to roadway improvements that could prevent future collisions. One recent success story is the installation of rumble strips along the district s primary highways. Run-off-the-road crashes Twenty-one of the district s fatal crashes, or 53 percent, are roadway departures, in which a single vehicle runs off the road and strikes a fixed object, such as a tree. Distracted and impaired driving are a leading cause of these crashes. Of course, attentiveness is the driver s responsibility, but at 5 per linear foot, rumble strips along the roadway shoulders are a cost-effective countermeasure when a vehicle begins to drift. This year, rumble strips were installed on the Route 29 corridor from Ruckersville to the Prince William County line, and seven additional primary routes will be addressed later this fall. Where these routes are two lanes wide, rumble strips will be applied to the road s centerline to prevent head-on collisions and over-correcting. Wear your seatbelt There is one crash factor VDOT has no control over: seatbelt use. So far this year in Culpeper District, 53 percent of those killed in car crashes were unbelted. Seatbelts won t prevent a crash, but by buckling up and putting children in appropriate safety seats, you can reduce the risk of serious injury and death in a crash by half. CASE STUDY: INNOVATIVE INTERSECTIONS In 16, Virginia s first restricted crossing U-turn, or RCUT, was installed in Culpeper County at Route 29 and Route 718 (Mountain Run Lake Road). Compared to adding a traffic signal or building an interchange, the RCUT has a smaller footprint requiring less right of way; can be built quickly and affordably; and emphasizes maintaining the free flow of Route 29 traffic. But safety is its best feature. This intersection had a ROUTE 29/718 RCUT history of crashes occurring as motorists made left CULPEPER COUNTY turns onto Route 29 from the side street. The RCUT eliminates this movement and instead requires drivers to turn right and then U-turn to reach their destination. In the nine months since the RCUT s December 16 opening, no turning-related crashes have occurred at the intersection. The RCUT is a novelty in Virginia, but not for long. This year, the Commonwealth Transportation Board set forth new governance that prioritizes increasing capacity through innovative designs before major expansions or installation of new traffic signals should be considered. RCUTs are already planned at two other intersections in the Culpeper District. TRANSPORTATION UPDATE // FALL 17 7

8 DISTRICT PERFORMANCE FY 17 Project Performance This fiscal year, the Culpeper District exceeded targets in all four of its project performance measures. We are particularly proud of progress with development of locally administered projects, which has risen from 58 percent of projects advertised on time in FY 16 to 95 percent this year. A newly formed team of project coordinators has taken a strategic approach and prioritizes relationshipbuilding with the district s 13 localities, with a measurable result: Culpeper now leads all VDOT districts in this performance category. Project Development Target 7% % 12 of 15 projects advertised on time Projects Advertised on Time Target 7% 95% of 21 projects advertised on time Locally Administered Projects SMART SCALE DASHBOARD Since its inception in 15, SMART SCALE has dramatically changed the way we prioritize, fund and deliver projects in Virginia. Because projects receive full funding upon approval, there is an expectation that VDOT will deliver as promised. VDOT has an obligation to openly and accurately tell the public how we re doing in terms of meeting that expectation. Enter the SMART SCALE Dashboard, which tracks on-time and on-budget progress. Using VDOT s traditional red, yellow and green indicators, the new dashboard takes performance monitoring up a notch to encourage early finish and cost-consciousness. This construction season, Culpeper District delivered two SMART SCALE projects: 1 Route 29/7, Greene County See page 37 for details. Project Delivery Target 77% Target 85% 2 Route 15/53 Roundabout, Fluvanna County See page 35 for details. 92% 24 of 26 projects delivered on time Projects Delivered on Time 96% 25 of 26 projects delivered on budget Projects Delivered on Budget 8 VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION \\ CULPEPER DISTRICT

9 DISTRICT PERFORMANCE SMART SCALE at Work Transportation needs will almost always be greater than the funds available to address them. SMART SCALE is about investing limited tax dollars in the right projects to meet the most critical transportation needs in Virginia. Through SMART SCALE, projects submitted by local governments and regional entities are scored in an objective process involving public engagement and input. The scored list of projects provides the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) with the best information possible to select projects for funding. The second round of SMART SCALE was concluded in June, when the CTB approved $1.2 billion in funding for 147 projects statewide. Eleven of those projects were in Culpeper District. SMART SCALE now enters a biennial cycle, with the next round of applications due Aug. 1, 18. CULPEPER DISTRICT SMART SCALE RESULTS SMART SCALE Round One 11 of 17 candidate projects funded $81.36 M in funding across six localities Throughout the Transportation Update, look for this icon, which identifies projects funded through the SMART SCALE prioritization process. For more information, visit vasmartscale.org. SMART SCALE Round Two 11 of 35 candidate projects funded $53.56 M in funding across six localities Special Funding Programs Rural Rustic Roads Through VDOT s Rural Rustic Roads program, low-volume gravel roads are improved with minimal, context-sensitive engineering and reconstruction for drainage, sight distance and grading, followed by surface treatment. Transportation Alternatives The federally funded Transportation Alternatives Program helps local sponsors fund community-based projects for non-vehicular travel and improves the cultural, historical and environmental aspects of the transportation infrastructure. Recreational Access Program The state-funded Recreational Access Program assists with establishing access to or within public recreational areas and historic sites operated by the Commonwealth or by a local authority. Rural Additions At the request of the county Board of Supervisors, routes meeting certain criteria may be added to the state system of secondary highways and improved to current standards with rural addition funds. TRANSPORTATION UPDATE // FALL 17 9

10 DISTRICT PERFORMANCE Bridge Condition Culpeper District s bridge program continues to reach new heights. This was the district s fourth year of steady increase in its bridge condition performance measure. Just 63 of the 1,664 bridges analyzed are rated as structurally deficient, an industry term that indicates deterioration. STRUCTURES REHABILITATED IN 17 Target 92% 96.2% Percent of bridges not structurally deficient ALBEMARLE COUNTY Route 6 over North Fork Rivanna River Route 6 over Norfolk Southern Railway Route 641 over Norfolk Southern Railway (reopens Dec. 1) Route 81 over Halls Creek FAUQUIER COUNTY Route 72 over Cromwells Run Route 787 over Cedar Run FLUVANNA COUNTY Route 623 over branch of Venable Creek (begins in mid-october) Route 629 over Phils Creek LOUISA COUNTY Route 658 over Turners Creek RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY Route 4 over Hughes River Route 655 over Beaverdam Creek DID YOU KNOW? BRIDGE INSPECTION Crew members prepare the bridge abutments before placing new steel bridge beams and a timber deck on the Route 787 (Watery Mountain Road) bridge over Cedar Run in Fauquier. Culpeper District s bridge staff inspect its 1,712 bridges and large culverts at least once every two years, more often when there are concerns due to age, deterioration or bridge damage. 1 VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION \\ CULPEPER DISTRICT

11 DISTRICT PERFORMANCE Pavement Maintenance Preserving Culpeper District s 4,867 miles of roadway is a core function of our business. Each year, VDOT rates pavement conditions in order to make strategic maintenance decisions. Treatment types are carefully selected to meet maintenance needs based on traffic volume, current condition and other factors. In 17, the district will spend $37 million to resurface miles in our nine counties. Target 82% 83% Percent interstate and primary pavement in fair or better condition At about 15 percent of the cost of asphalt, surface treatment is a durable, cost-effective option for many secondary roads. Secondary roads Pavement condition on Culpeper District s secondary roads is at 59.8 percent, below the statewide 65 percent target. With sustained funding and a continued systematic approach to the resurfacing program, the district expects improvement with this measure. Status map New this year is an interactive map that displays locations of paving work, contact information and project status scheduled, in progress, completed or deferred to next season which is updated weekly. Culpeper District-specific information is also available on our paving webpage. TRANSPORTATION UPDATE // FALL 17 11