News Flash

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 22, 2022

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Week of December 26-January 5th, 2022 –  No work scheduled for Friday, December 23rd AND Monday, December 26th AND Monday, January 2nd.  NEW PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC PATTERN ON 9th/AVON STREET WEEK OF JANUARY 3rd-6th.  Old Avon Closed Between Garrett Street and East South Street with Intermittent Closures between East South Street and Monticello Road.  Flagging on Graves Street, Monticello Road and Water Street. 

Reopening of pedestrian tunnel to/from the Downtown Mall via the Pavilion on Water Street week of December 27th-30th.  Sidewalk Closure on 9th/Avon Street, Old Avon Street and Water Street.  Crosswalk closure at Graves/9th/Avon Street and midblock crossing of Water Street under Belmont Bridge. 

Lighting to be Installed week of December 27^th-30^th along eastern side of 9^th/Avon Street.  Alternate Route – Garrett Street to 4^th Street SE to either Water Street or East Market Street.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Due to the holiday season, no work is scheduled for the following three days:

• Friday, December 23
• Monday, December 26
• Monday, January 2

A new vehicular traffic pattern was instituted Wednesday, December 14^th shifting traffic onto the new, eastern bridge on 9^th/Avon Street.  On Tuesday, December 20^th, the new sidewalk was opened on the eastern side of 9^th/Avon Street between Graves Street and East Market Street.  The western sidewalk will be closed along 9^th/Avon between East Market Street and Graves Street starting the week of January 3rd-6th .  The midblock crossing at Graves Street across 9^th/Avon Street will be open until the eastern sidewalk is reconstructed between Graves Street and Levy Avenue in the coming weeks.

Vehicular traffic will be flagged on Graves Street between 9^th/Avon Street and Monticello Road to aid in construction of curbing and sidewalk.

Monticello Road between Graves Street and Old Avon will be flagged as two retaining walls begin construction.

Old Avon will be closed between Garrett Street and East South Street to continue grading and stormwater activities.  Old Avon will experience flagging and intermittent closures for up to 15 minute intervals between East South Street and Monticello Road as the old bridge is demolished.

The existing pedestrian tunnel to/from the Downtown Mall via the Ting Pavilion on Water Street will be reopened the week of December 27^th-30^th.  The detour route remains along the southern sidewalk on Water Street to the existing crosswalk at the Downtown Transit Station.  A ramp and a staircase is located west of the Downtown Transit Station which connects to the Downtown Mall.  Vehicular traffic at the bridge on Water Street will be flagged intermittently with both pedestrian and vehicular travel being intermittently stopped for up to 15 minute intervals as construction vehicles enter and leave the work zone.  The northern sidewalk east of the bridge on Water Street is also closed and pedestrians are being directed to the southern sidewalk at existing crosswalks. 

To accommodate construction, segments of sidewalk and crosswalks will also be closed as work progresses.  No street will have both sides of the sidewalk closed at the same time.  The eastern sidewalk along 9th/Avon Street will be closed between Levy Avenue and Graves Street with pedestrians directed to the western sidewalk along 9^th/Avon Street.  The western crosswalk across Graves Street will be closed with pedestrians directed to the mid-block crossing 9^th/Avon Street at Graves.  The southern sidewalk along Old Avon Street is closed between Monticello Road and where it terminates near East South Street.

Solar powered lights will be installed along the eastern sidewalk of 9^th/Avon Street between Graves Street and East Market Street the week of December 27^th-30^th.  An alternate pedestrian route to either Water Street or East Market Street is available via Garrett Street to 4^th Street SE.

Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the project area and access to private parcels will be accommodated.

Construction is being conducted by Caton Construction Group, Inc. for the City of Charlottesville’s Department of Public Works. The pedestrian pushbuttons at the 9th/Avon/Levy/Garrett intersection have been relocated to the large, wooden signal poles (NE, NW and SW corners) and an auxiliary wooden post with metal conduit (SE corner).

Work zone is posted at 25 MPH – please drive carefully with phones down.

Visit the Traffic Advisories and Sidewalk Closures page for related news items.

Visit www.belmontbridge.org for Belmont Bridge Project Information.

Media Contact
Jeanette Janiczek
UCI Program Manager
City of Charlottesville
434-970-3309
janiczek@charlottesville.gov