Lynchburg Awarded $24.5 Million Federal Grant for Major U.S. 501/221 Intersection Project

The funding will help move forward a long-planned redesign aimed at reducing congestion, improving safety and easing travel through one of Lynchburg's busiest corridors.

LYNCHBURG, Va. — The City of Lynchburg has been awarded a $24.5 million federal transportation grant to help fund long-awaited improvements to the U.S. 501/U.S. 221 corridor, one of the city's busiest and most congested roadways.

The grant, awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program, covers nearly all of the $25 million the city requested. City officials say the funding represents a major step toward construction of a project that has been in development for years.

"The U.S. 501/U.S. 221 corridor is critical to our transportation network," City Manager Wynter Benda said in a statement. "This investment will improve safety, reduce congestion and better connect residents, businesses and visitors."

What the project includes

The project will redesign the intersection using a split one-way pair configuration, a traffic design intended to improve vehicle movement while reducing conflict points.

Plans also include:

• A new flyover bridge over Old Forest Road to improve traffic flow.
• Additional capacity to reduce congestion.
• Improved pedestrian and bicycle accommodations.
• Better transit access throughout the corridor.

The improvements are intended to increase roadway capacity while making the area safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Competitive federal funding

The BUILD program is one of the nation's most competitive transportation grant programs. Lynchburg received approximately 98 percent of the funding it requested, and city officials noted this was the final year the project was eligible to compete for the grant.

The city credited support from Virginia's congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with state Senator Mark Peake and Delegate Wendell Walker. Officials also recognized the work of the city's Public Works Department, particularly Principal Engineer Dee Dee Conner and City Engineer Lee Newland, for helping secure the funding.

What's next?

City staff will continue working with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration as the project advances through final design, right-of-way acquisition and eventually construction.

Why it matters

The U.S. 501/U.S. 221 corridor serves as a primary gateway into Lynchburg and carries thousands of vehicles each day. City officials expect the redesign to reduce traffic backups, improve safety and create better connections for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users as Lynchburg continues to grow.