It's a long way from paving trucks and line painters finishing their work on the Western Bypass to skirt Route 29 traffic in Albemarle County, but the project is moving ahead.
Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connoughton, the man at the center of getting it from the drawing board to a GPS option, says he's going to keep it moving - despite those who say no.
NBC29 learned Wednesday it will take about four years to get the road built. Connoughton says the Western Bypass is not the cure all, but it will help.
"We recognize that this project has become sort of bigger than life," Connoughton said.
Construction on the controversial Western Bypass will start next month. That news comes from Skanska USA - the firm building the 6.2-mile long road.
Wednesday, Connoughton addressed a crowd in Albemarle County, promoting the project as part of an overall package to improve traffic woes.
He said, "You have some enormous problems, getting worse and we're just trying to deal with it."
Connoughton says he's following through on his verbal promises. Just last week, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved a six-year plan with money set aside to:
- Replace the Belmont Bridge
- Widen Route 29 north of Polo Grounds Road
- Build the Hillsdale Drive Extension Project
- Improve the Route 29/250 interchange in Charlottesville.
"I think people should be happy with the amount of money that we're investing in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area," he said.
Connoughton also says the bypass will not cost more than expected, totaling about $244.6 million when all is said and done. As for lingering concerns about environmental impacts critics say still need to be studied, Connoughton said, "It means putting money into construction and some initial impacts on the community but in the long term, it's going to be very positive for Charlottesville and Albemarle."
Skanska USA will share the work with Branch Highways, Inc. It's a 60-40 split. That's part of the design-build process.
