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The City’s long anticipated Erickson Avenue/ Stone Spring Road Project began on February 9. On February 10, Public Works staff gave a presentation to City Council providing descriptions of each project phase, updates on cost and funding, and anticipated impacts to traffic during Phase I of construction.

For many years the Erickson Avenue/ Stone Spring Road Project has been identified as a top priority to improve street system connectivity, provide better east to west mobility, and address deficient capacity and critical safety concerns in the southern portion of the City of Harrisonburg. Initial conceptual planning for this project began in the late 1980s. In the mid 1990s, the City entered into contract with Mattern & Craig, Inc. to perform design and engineering services.

The Erickson Avenue/ Stone Spring Road Connection spans 3.1-miles stretching from west city limits to east city limits, providing the only continuous transportation link other than Route 33. This route provides an alternative for traffic that must currently wind through residential areas.  This project is included in the City of Harrisonburg’s 2004 Comprehensive Plan and Harrisonburg Rockingham Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (HRMPO) 2030 Transportation Plan adopted in 2005. The corridor project is also included in the current State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and the Six-Year Improvement Plan (SYIP). 

The corridor passes through existing fully developed commercial areas and areas currently receiving extreme interest for future residential development. The proposed corridor improvements will facilitate access to Harrisonburg High School, Stone Spring Elementary School, Berea Christian School, Ramblewood Field (a City recreational facility), Blacks Run Greenway (a City-programmed trail facility), plus an alternative route to the relocation site of the new Rockingham Memorial Hospital.

The project is divided into four phases. Funds for the construction project are from a combination of Local Funds, plus State and Federal Urban Transportation Funds.  

The update to City Council describes that the Phase I construction contract has been awarded to Perry Engineering Company, Inc. of Winchester, Virginia for an amount of $5.7 million. Additional estimates for administrative overhead, inspection, materials certification, and engineering support is $2.2. Construction estimates for all four phases of the project, excluding the bridge over I-81 (by VDOT) and the 30″ raw waterline project, totals $40,000,000.

Additionally, Phase I construction will include the eventual removal of the railroad trestle on Erickson Avenue, relocation of the railroad, and relocation of existing Pear Street. Major impacts to traffic patterns (i.e. detours) are not expected until later this summer.

The estimated completion date for construction of the entire project is late 2014, which is largely dependent upon the future availability of funds.

Additional project information can be found at www.ericksonstonespring.org.