Detour to reroute traffic at U.S. 250 and Route 151

You can get there, but you’re going to have to go around.

Virginia Department of Transportation officials are setting up a detour around the intersection of U.S. 250 and Route 151, the popular boulevard through Nelson and Albemarle counties lined with wineries, breweries and cideries, to allow continued construction of a roundabout.

The detour will take effect at 7 p.m. on Sept. 18 and will be in place until Sept. 22.

Traffic turning from U.S. 250 onto Route 151 will be detoured to Route 750, also known as Old Turnpike Road, and then to Route 803, or Goodloe Lane, and then and back onto Route 151.

A section of Route 750 and all of Route 803 will be converted to one-way traffic during the detour.

Northbound traffic on Route 151 will continue to the current U.S. 250 intersection to turn left or right on to U.S. 250. Local traffic on Route 151 between Route 803 and U.S. 250 will be able to proceed north or south on Route 151. Local traffic on Route 803 will need to continue south to access Route 151 and U.S. 250.

During the detour, flaggers at the U.S. 250/Route 151 intersection and U.S. 250 and Old Turnpike Road will direct traffic. Message boards on the adjacent roads will provide advance notice of the traffic pattern change.

Drivers should slow down and use extreme caution when approaching the project work area since the detour may result in more congestion than usual.

The roundabout project is replacing the current traffic light at U.S. 250 and Route 151. The location has a significant crash history and the roundabout is intended to improve safety and reduce congestion, particularly during high-volume travel times.

It will also correct deficiencies in the roadway alignment and manage vehicle speeds, both of which have been identified as contributing factors in some crashes.

The U.S. 250/Route 151 roundabout project is one of six in Albemarle County. The $28.5 million design-build contract is being delivered by Curtis Contracting Inc. of West Point.

Four of the projects, including modifications to the Interstate 64 interchange at U.S. 29, improvements to the ramp on northbound U.S. 29 at the Fontaine Avenue exit, a connection from Rio Mills Road to Berkmar Drive, and a roundabout at Route 20 and Proffit Road, are complete.

The remaining two, the 250/151 roundabout and the diverging diamond interchange at I-64 and U.S. 250 (Richmond Road) at Pantops, are scheduled for completion in February 2023.

Source: www.dailyprogress.com