The plan to redesign one of the most congested intersections in Lynchburg is moving forward after four years of delays.
An informational meeting about the project to revamp the intersection of U.S. 501 and U.S. 221 will be held Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Fire Station 7 on Lakeside Drive. Representatives from McCormick Taylor, Inc., which is the project’s consulting engineering firm, and city officials will provide updates and answer questions. Maps and general project details will be available to view.
Retail and housing growth along the two major Hill City throughways has pushed the intersection over its capacity in recent years, according to the city’s website.
The redesign will increase capacity and reduce delays by dividing U.S. 501 into a split pair of northbound and southbound roads. Southbound traffic will travel on the existing roadway, while a new half-mile stretch will be built for northbound traffic, according to the project website.
The overhaul will create two separate intersections, each taking on about half of the congestion that the current intersection holds.
The design phase was originally scheduled to be completed in December 2021, according to an agenda packet from a January 2021 city council meeting. But city officials terminated the design contract with the project’s initial engineering firm, T.Y. Lin, in 2023, leaving the project at a standstill until McCormick Taylor was selected in June.
The current design phase with McCormick Taylor includes surveying the proposed construction area, collecting traffic data and securing environmental permitting, according to the project website.
While progress is being made, the project is still years from completion. Designs are expected to be finalized in fall 2028, and construction is set to start in spring 2029, according to the project website.
Construction won’t be finished until 2031, according to McCormick Taylor’s website.
