Parts of Culpeper bypass open, project ahead of schedule
The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to name the Western Outer Loop bypass Ira Hoffman Lane.
The road, which is currently under construction, will extend from the current Ira Hoffman Lane at the intersection of Route 229 down to the connection at Route 522.
There has been some confusion lately about the completion of the project, as the portion along Route 522 has seen premature traffic.
According to Culpeper County administrator John Eggertson the road has been used by local residents to reach their homes along Saint Jameson Road, but that it’s not fully completed as some have believed.
“So those folks can use it but it doesn’t go all the way through yet, so you’ve got some portion of the road that’s open,” Eggertson said.
A portion of the road that will connect Route 729 and the new bypass has also been completed. That will form a T at the junction of Ira Hoffman Lane and 729.
“They opened that end as well,” Eggertson said. “Now all they have to do is complete the middle.”
According to Mark Nesbitt, VDOT’s Warrenton Residency Engineer, the next phase of construction that is expected to be completed is a turning lane from 522 at the intersection of Route 784.
Eggertson said the project is “way ahead of schedule.” Completion was originally set for completion in August 2017 but could be done by the end of the year.
The project, which has been funded by the county and the Virginia Department of Transportation’s revenue sharing program, is priced at $9.7 million for the two-mile highway.
“We saved up through the revenue sharing program for years and years,” Egertson said.
The road has been part of the county’s comprehensive plan for years, as a plan to alleviate traffic into the town.
Egertson said the first leg was when Ira Hoffman Lane extended to 229 and McDevitt Drive when it was extended down to Route 3.
“This will all be one continuous loop, the next most important loop was to get from 729 down to 522,” Egertson said. “It was really conceived before the town’s inner loop was built.”