AGENDA DATE: 12/18/2019
TITLE:
Title
Eastern Avenue South Connection Proposed Design and Engineering Study
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Request approval of a location and design study for the Eastern Avenue South bridge and roadway connection to Route 250W in Crozet
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Henry, Filardo, Stewart, Benish, Abplanalp, McDermott
PRESENTER (S): n/a
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND:
In October 2019, Community Development (CDD) Transportation Planners drafted a Revenue Sharing grant application for submission to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for the Eastern Avenue South Connection project. This two-lane roadway would connect the southern portion of Eastern Avenue and portions of the Westhall and Foothills Crossing Developments across Lickinghole Creek to the Cory Farms Development and on to US 250. It would provide a new access point to the rapidly growing residential neighborhoods east of Crozet Avenue in the Crozet Development Area and would include sidewalks, bike lanes and street trees; the bridge over Lickinghole Creek would be the most substantial, and the costliest, feature of the new roadway.
Staff based this grant application on a preliminary, 2008 conceptual design and VDOT Planning cost estimate. This estimate was updated in 2013, and subsequent planning cost estimates included inflation rates to the anticipated 2022 construction start date. This project was included in a FY19 CIP request for $5,804,000 which was 50% of the estimated project cost of $11,608,000.
Due to concerns associated with a rapidly changing and fluctuating construction market, particularly on projects of this nature, County staff requested that VDOT perform a preliminary review of the cost estimate prior to final grant submission. VDOT completed this review and provided two (2) conceptual estimates in late September 2019. These updated VDOT estimates projected total costs for the roadway between $15.5 million and $17.2 million; potential routes and bridge lengths account for the difference in the two estimates.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment: Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs.
DISCUSSION:
After receiving the VDOT estimates that showed a significant increase in project costs, the County Executive office requested that staff meet with a transportation engineering firm to determine the scope of an engineering and conceptual design study that would provide a more thorough analysis of potential design options by providing cost estimates for three (3) conceptual road alignment and bridge options. The proposed location and design engineering study would include a location analysis; environmental review; surveying; traffic engineering / analysis; conceptual structural design; drainage design; and roadway design for the Eastern Avenue South Connection in Crozet. Staff is currently reviewing and finalizing the scope of this study and does not anticipate the final cost to exceed $275,000.
This study will assist staff in analyzing options and alternatives to reduce costs and enable the County to move forward with this high-priority project. It would include an engineer’s opinion of probable construction cost and 30% complete design plans which would enable the County to submit preliminary plans to VDOT for review. CDD is in the process of procuring a regional traffic study as part of the Crozet Master Plan update which will include traffic counts and traffic projections for Eastern Avenue. The timing of this work could potentially reduce costs associated with this proposed study
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no budgetary impact. If approved, funding for this study would be appropriated from the Transportation Leveraging Program in the Capital Improvement Program
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of this engineering study
ATTACHMENTS:
Att. A. FY19 CIP Request Form 1 (7/27/17)
Att. B. FY19 CIP Request Form 2 (7/27/17)
Att. C. Kimley-Horn Associates Scope of Services (11/11/19)