A new traffic pattern will be instituted this Thursday, December 15th after the morning rush hour on 9th/Avon Street. Both vehicles and pedestrians will be shifted to the new bridge to the east. To prepare, 9th/Avon Street will be paved north of the railroad on Monday, December 12th and pavement striping will take place on Tuesday, December 13th. Various preparatory activities will take place on Wednesday, December 14th. Work will be performed outside of the travel lanes but vehicular traffic may also be stopped on the northbound travel lane of 9th/Avon Street to allow construction vehicles to enter/exit the work zone at both access points – one north of the railroad and the other south of the railroad. Late morning, all traffic will be stopped briefly along 9th/Avon Street and two construction vehicles will lead traffic through the new travel pattern in both north and southbound directions.
Paving will also be conducted on East South Street on Monday, December 15th. East South Street will be closed to through traffic during paving. Flaggers will ensure local traffic can access private parking lots from 6th Street SE to East South Street. The loading dock at Beck Cohen will be accessible from Old Avon to East South Street.
The temporary parking lot entrance has moved from its location on East South Street to Old Avon. This temporary parking lot will be closed on Tuesday, December 13th to perform maintenance. Please remove all vehicles the night before to help us maintain this lot for future public use.
Vehicular traffic on Old Avon Street will be stopped intermittently as equipment and materials are repositioned.
The existing pedestrian tunnel to/from the Downtown Mall via the Ting Pavilion on Water Street will be reopened the week of December 19th-23rd. 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.
Monticello Road has been reopened to through traffic between Graves Street and Old Avon Street. Flagging of vehicular traffic may still occur in this same section of Monticello Road as equipment/material is moved.
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 9th/Avon Street. The western crosswalk across Graves Street will be closed with pedestrians directed to the mid-block crossing 9th/Avon Street at Graves. Pedestrians on Graves Street’s northern sidewalk between 9th/Avon and Monticello Road may be stopped by a flagger for up to 5 minutes to allow vehicles to load and exit work area. The eastern sidewalk along 9th/Avon Street between Graves Street and East Market Street is closed and will be re-opened on Thursday, December 15th with the traffic shift. The southern sidewalk along Old Avon Street is closed between Monticello Road and where it terminates near East South Street.
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.