CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The public is invited to learn more and comment on proposed multimodal transportation improvements along Route 742 (Avon Street) in the City of Charlottesville, according to a Virginia Department of Transportation release. The project has an estimated price tag that has jumped by over $2 million since city councilors first signed off on it last year.
City Council on Aug. 18, 2025 endorsed what was then a $15.8 million VDOT plan for a four-tenths-of-a-mile stretch of Avon St. between Druid Ave. and Belmont Cottage Rd., the cost of which has ballooned to $18.3 million in just over a year, according to VDOT. VDOT has announced an in-person design public hearing for Thursday at Monticello High School from 5-7 p.m. to discuss the project, which would eliminate 33 street parking spaces in the neighborhood.
“A shared-use path will be constructed along the east side of Avon Street, between Route 1101 (Avon Court) and Druid Avenue, to enhance connections with the Rivanna Trail,” according to the VDOT announcement. “A new pedestrian bridge will also be constructed over Moores Creek, parallel to Avon Street along the east side of the roadway. The shared-use path and pedestrian bridge will be owned by the City of Charlottesville. Existing bus stops will be upgraded and new crosswalks will be installed at key locations as part of this project.”
City Transportation Planning Manager Ben Chambers said one of the objectives of the project is improving bike and pedestrian access from the city into the county. The plan is to also construct the configuration to slow traffic down moving through the neighborhood.
The public hearing will be conducted in an open house format, and will give residents the chance to review project displays and ask questions of VDOT staff. The public can also view public hearing materials on the project web page.
Comments on the project will be accepted at the public hearing and afterward through Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, or may be emailed to john.rose1@vdot.virginia.gov with a reference to “Avon Street multimodal improvements” in the email subject line, or submitted by mailing them to John Rose, VDOT project manager, 1601 Orange Road, Culpeper, VA 22701, according to the release.
The half-mile VDOT Smart Scale project at the county line removes 33 on-street parking spaces for the Avon St. residents, which was of concern for a number of councilors when they reviewed it. The residences in the corridor do have a single off-street parking space on their properties but would have to find something else to do with additional vehicles after the project is done.
Since the August 2025 design was submitted, VDOT had to make some changes that raise the project price tag.
“A geotechnical investigation identified the need to replace the existing retaining wall along Avon Street between Rockland Avenue and Druid Avenue,” said VDOT Culpeper District spokesperson Alexis Mehretab. “The wall’s original design loads could not be verified, replacement will ensure it can safely accommodate the new path and protect the public and adjacent homes.”
“In addition, engineering analysis showed that the bridge initially proposed would raise floodplain water levels near homes that sit only a few inches above the existing floodplain elevation,” Mehretab explained. “The bridge was redesigned to avoid that increase and now the revised bridge is longer, which increased its cost.”
With the retaining wall and bridge length revisions, that means additional utility relocations that add to the cost, according to Mehretab.
”These changes address conditions identified during design and help protect nearby properties while providing a safe path for the community,” she said.
The project is expected to be advertised for construction in winter 2027, with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2029 and be completed in spring 2030, according to VDOT.
