~ Drivers can expect intermittent travel lane, parking lane and sidewalk closures during construction ~

RICHMOND, Va. – The Department of Public Works (DPW) will begin paving on April 11 along Broad Street from 3rd Street to Staples Mill Road ahead of the streetscape construction project on Broad Street.  The Broad Street Gateway and Corridor Improvements Project is intended to enhance the overall character of Broad Street, complement the Pulse BRT project, and establish a unified design for one of the City’s primary gateway corridors. There will be intermittent travel lane, parking lane and sidewalk closures during construction. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be complete by the fall of 2023.

The project includes the following components (project work will overlap):

1. Paving:
   
   • Project timeframe: April 11 - Summer 2022
   • Area: Broad Street from 3rd Street to the city/county line just west of Staples Mill Road
   • Paving work will be completed in five (5) segments
   • Each segment will be done from the outside lanes to the inside, north side, then returning on the south side (on-street parking will not be available while paving is occurring)
   • Paving segments:
     
     • 3rd Street to Belvidere Street
     • Belvidere Street to Meadow Street/Hermitage Road
     • Meadow Street/Hermitage Road to Arthur Ashe Boulevard
     • Arthur Ashe Boulevard to Hamilton Street
     • Hamilton Street to the county line
   • Note: Paving will be a 24-hour operation, starting at 6 p.m. on Sundays and ending at 6 p.m. on Fridays and there will be some complete street closures.
   • Funding for this project was provided through the Central Virginia Transportation Authority

2. Streetscape:
   
   • Project timeframe: April 25 through Fall 2023
   • Area: Hamilton Street to Laurel Street
   • The project will replace sidewalks throughout the corridor and upgrade curb ramps to improve accessibility for pedestrians, individuals who use mobility devices, people with visual impairments etc. New trees will be planted to provide greenery and shade to pedestrians and street furniture such as benches, trash cans, and bike racks will be placed along Broad Street. Decorative light fixtures will be installed on existing poles to illuminate sidewalks for additional pedestrian safety at night. To improve traffic safety, curb bump-outs will be constructed to guide vehicles through existing lane shifts and prevent illegal parking. At locations where properties have multiple access points to a parking lot or property, select driveway entrances on Broad Street will be permanently closed to further improve traffic safety and reduce rear end crashes.
   • Funding for this project was provided through VDOT’s SMART SCALE program.

3. Pulse BRT Red Pavement:
   
   • Project timeframe: Construction expected May through August 2022
   • Area: Broad Street from I-195 to 1st Street
   • The Pulse BRT Red Pavement project will install red-colored pavement marking in the dedicated bus-only lanes from I-195 to 1st Street. The project is funded through a Department of Rail and Public Transit grant and is intended to improve driver and pedestrian awareness of the dedicated bus-only lanes, reduce unauthorized use of the bus-only lanes, and improve bus operations.
   • Funding for this project was provided through the DRPT Demonstration Project Assistance MERIT Grant Program

4. Richmond Signal System – Phase III:
   
   • Project timeframe: April through December 2022 with additional traffic signal upgrades in 2023
   • Area: Thompson Street to Staples Mill Road
   • Project details: installing conduit, junction boxes and fiber-optic lines to existing traffic signals
   • Note: work will primarily be in the sidewalks
     
     • Traffic signal upgrades coming in 2023 to the following areas:
       
       • the intersection of Broad and Westmoreland
       • the intersection of Broad and Commonwealth
   • Background: The department operates and maintains 480 traffic signalized intersections. Communications between the traffic signal central system and each traffic signal controller provide enhanced remote monitoring, optimized and efficient signal coordination, transit signal priority along the Pulse Corridor, special events management, and maintenance capabilities, which benefit the City and all roadway users. Since 2009, DPW has been diligently working to expand the signal system infrastructure and associated communications assets to integrate all signalized intersections in the City into a centralized traffic signal system. The Downtown area was completed in Phase I and South of the James River in Phase II.
   • Funding for this project was provided through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program from the Federal Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The project is also in partnership with the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

5. Public Utility Waterline Replacement:
   
   • Timeframe: Construction expected in the spring of 2023
   • Area: Along Broad Street from 3rd Street to I-95
   • This project will be handled by the Department of Public Utilities

For more information and weekly updates, go to https://www.rva.gov/public-works/broad-street-project or email questions to AskPublicWorks@rva.gov.

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 178 currently accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance; trash collection; recycling; grass cutting;  graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW maintains upkeep on most city buildings; issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages the RVA Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1.