The Virginia Department of Transportation is warning Gainesville area motorists of delays of up to an hour over the weekend of Aug. 24-25, as Route 29 traffic will shift onto the new bridge, eliminating the at-grade railroad crossing.
Five crashes have occurred in two years between trains and vehicles at that crossing,
VDOT has delayed the traffic switch originally scheduled for Aug. 16-18 since it would coincide with the sold-out Jimmy Buffett concert at Jiffy Lube Live, potentially creating severe traffic issues in the area.
“With 25,000 concert-goers coming to Gainesville Aug. 17, that weekend clearly was not the best one for us to take away a lane on Route 29,” said Bill Cuttler, VDOT’s district construction engineer in Northern Virginia.
From 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, until noon Sunday, Aug. 25, only one lane in each direction will be open on Route 29 and Linton Hall Road. Some turns will also be restricted, he said.
VDOT suggests that motorists avoid delays through Gainesville by using I-66 and Route 15.
“The weekend of Aug. 24-25 will be a major inconvenience for Gainesville area motorists, but by Sunday afternoon, the hazardous at-grade railroad crossing will be no more,” said Cuttler. "Getting traffic off Route 29 and onto the new bridge is a safety improvement that cannot happen soon enough.”
At that time, crews will need to construct a tie-in to the new bridge and pave and stripe the area, he said.
VDOT will post message signs to alert motorists of the closures and delays several days in advance of the weekend work. Police will be on the scene to assist with traffic control.
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