RECENT COMMENTS
Project would reconfigure Oliver Hill Way, add five roundabouts
Transportation projects being considered for funding for fiscal year 2017 under Virginia’s House Bill Two (HB2) process were released last week. A total of 321 applications were received for fiscal year 2017, with 287 advancing for further evaluation – including a proposed series of roundabouts in the East End and a reconfiguration of Oliver Hill Way.
The proposed alterations include 5 new roundabouts at Venable Street & Oliver Hill/18th/Mosby, Mosby & MLK Bridge, and 17th & Broad.
The proposal also appears to include the closing of the off-ramp from 95/64 onto Oliver Hill Way, while adding an on-ramp at that location. The plan calls for terminating Oliver Hill Way just north of there as a dead-end street, and converting the street to two-way traffic. The idea is to redirect northbound I-95 traffic to Broad Street, towards “[improving] traffic operations on adjacent surface streets.”
In addition, a bike facility will be provided at Oliver Hill Way and 17th Street to support the corridor’s connection to the Cannon Creek Greenway and communities north of downtown. The proposed reconfiguration would facilitate continuation of the existing buffered bike lanes into Shockoe Bottom.
The I-95/I-64 Overlap Study from March 2013 includes these proposed changes under “Other Surface Street Improvements” on page 95 (PDF). The attached map shows the proposed roundabouts and the reconfiguration of Oliver Hill Way.
According to the HB2 Project Scorecard (PDF), the $28,042,650 proposal ranks either 118 or 136 out of these 287 projects statewide, and either 18 or 23 in the Richmond District. If approved, construction would not begin until late in 2020.
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I can’t really tell what I’m looking at… Too many colors/too much overlap
This article needs to be updated. First, the proposal is for roundabouts, not traffic circles. Roundabouts are safe and functional (and efficient) and can eliminate turn lanes at intersections. There is a big difference between the two. Second, the off-ramp from 95 is not being eliminated. Look at the map closely. The on-ramp is being reconfigured to separate the 95 and 64 traffic flows. It is also adding an on-ramp from the Bottom (at Venable) which would alleviate some of the volume getting on currently from Broad Street.
Good catch, I swapped out roundabout for traffic circle.
I’m not sure about the rest, the map appears to show the offramp being removed. Do you know of a written description for that part of the project?
Ah, I see what you’re referring to. My bad. I never go left at that ramp (95 N to Broad by MCV). I didn’t pick up that they proposed closing that leg. Looks like it would be just the exit to Broad via OH Way.
Also looks to close Franklin St exit (from 95 southbound). I was only looking at the stuff to the east of the interstate.
My wife said today as we navigated the mostly unplowed roads, Richmond will be known as the “City of Circles”
This is insane! ENOUGH WITH THE ROUNDABOUTS! Are we going to put them at every single corner?! Heck, the place where they really need one they will never put one. That is at Boulevard/Westwood/Hermitage/and Brookland Parkway… there used to be one there but they’ll never put another there. But at the corner where there is a dead end street, sure put one there! Are they stopping Oliver Hill Way? That is an awful plan. Keep that open! If anything, put a circle at Oliver Hill and Hospital/Bowling Green.
Are they rerouting Rt 360 too? Oliver Hill and 18th as they are now lead to Mechanicsville Turnpike.
Imagine if we had always had traffic circles at these intersections, and they were proposing to take them out and replace the circles with stop lights. We’d all be losing our minds.
@10 The plan as I understand it would be to turn the current northbound lanes of Oliver Hill into a two way street and redirect traffic there. The current southbound lanes would stop at the proposed cul-de-sac. Right now Oliver Hill has more than enough capacity to handle the traffic on it.
@16, nope, the ramp (i think you’re talking about) doesn’t go away. Zoom in on the map and you’ll see the off ramp from I95 heading north which puts you onto Oliver Hill Way way just north of Venable is still in place as shown with small black arrows.
The big red loop that’s going away takes you back up to MCV (north side of the academic complex).
Note that the map only shows changes–the existing roadways are pale in color, so they don’t automatically pop out at you. Pretty sure the ramp you’re talking about (and one we use a lot, too) is still there. Remember, if you’re traveling east on Downtown Expressway, you still have to get onto 95 for a stretch before you get off at this ramp.
I just don’t like that a large 3 lane (still with the bike lane) just ends in a cul de sac. Why not reopen Carrington Street there? What happens to Brown Street? And why do we have to keep carving up, changing, and rerouting our historic streets?
@8
I agree – it looks like the SOUTHbound I-95 Franklin St exit would be closed and I don’t see a new way to exit 95South near Church Hill on the map.
What happened to this project now that we are approaching 2 years later?
Whether a traffic circle or a roundabout, people in Richmond need to be educated on how to use them. I’ve had too many close calls with people who just barrel through them.
@14 Lisa… you would have to also educate those same drivers about social graces which would include, courtesy of the road. Today society is all about being “first” and “all about me”. As long as they think a cop is not looking, they will freeform drive to their preference instead of adhering to the rules of the road. Totally horrible.
That said, there is more than a circle in the proposal, including new exits – eliminating the dangerous Franklin Street exit 74B off of I-95 South.
@Eric
According to the project’s Smart Scale website (http://dashboard.vasmartscale.org/project-details?id=109310), the project is in the design Phase. Right-of-way acquisition and public engagement are set to begin March of 2019, with construction to begin to following year.