LYNCHBURG, Va. – Lynchburg is getting a major federal investment to fix one of its most frustrating stretches of road.
The city has been awarded a $24.5 million federal grant to overhaul the US 501/US 221 corridor — a long-planned project aimed at reducing congestion, improving safety, and making the area more accessible for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.
“It’s an intersection that the citizens of Lynchburg complain about routinely being congested, particularly on their way to work and during our peak hours of travel, so hopefully this will be a great project to improve safety at this intersection,” said Gaynelle Hart, director of public works for the City of Lynchburg.
A corridor long overdue for a fix
For years, city engineers have flagged this stretch of US 221 and US 501 as a major bottleneck and a safety concern — especially for people walking, running, or biking through the area.
“This is one of our most congested intersections, we do have a number of crashes here, people are traveling at a fairly high speed through this intersection,” Hart said.
The redesign will convert the current layout into a split one-way pair. It will also add better sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and improved bus stops to make it easier for transit riders to board and exit.
City officials say the changes are expected to reduce congestion, cut collision points, and better connect surrounding neighborhoods to nearby businesses.
Grant covers nearly all of what city requested
The City of Lynchburg applied for $25 million and received approximately 98% of that request. City leaders are calling it a major milestone, saying the federal support allows the project to move from the planning phase into design and construction.
Over the coming months, city staff will work with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to finalize detailed designs, begin right-of-way work, and schedule construction. Officials say they will develop plans to limit the impact on drivers and residents during construction and will keep the public informed as work gets underway.
Stay with 10 News for updates on when construction will begin and what drivers should expect.