City continues to fund streetscape work ongoing since the 1980s

FREDERICKSBURG — Funding for a handful of transportation projects that began last year will carry over into 2019.

At its January 22 meeting, the Fredericksburg City Council approved a motion to continue funding four projects.

The Downtown Streetscape Project

Since the 1980s, Fredericksburg has been working to replace their concrete sidewalks with bricks. The current project seeks to complete this project by filling in the gaps in about 20 blocks within the central business district.

Other related work will include the installation of street lamps and bringing up crosswalk ramps to American Disabilities Act standards.

According to documents from the council meeting agenda, the capital budget from Fiscal Year 2018 was $1.3 million but will be substantially more for FY 2019. The total budget will be $2,5 million with $2 million, or 80 percent of the budget coming from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the remaining 20 percent coming from the city.

That 20 percent will be funded with $60,000 of gas tax revenues as approved by resolution, $200,000 of fund balance in the Public Works Capital Fund and an additional appropriation of $250,000. The additional appropriation of $250,000 represents the 20% share of the funding application.

Signal Optimization

The signals at business Route 3 and Williams Street will be receiving improvements. The city received more than $1 million from VDOT to improve signal timing According to the agenda, the city will provide an additional $147,000 towards those improvements.

The signal at Fall Hill Avenue and Nobel Way (Hospitality Lane) will also see improvements. The city has allocated $322,806 from the budget for the completion of this project. The city has funding from VDOT for this project but will use revenue from gas taxes that will cover $231,562 of the cost. The city has also received $91,244 in proffers for this project.  

Fall Hill Street Lights

The city approved funding for the installation of new streetlights in the Fall Hill neighborhood. According to Transportation Administrator Erik Nelson, the $250,000 that has been budgeted for the installation will all come from local money. Half of that budget will come from revenue collected from gas taxes.

Replacement Playground Facilities

The city has allocated $30,298 for playground betterments which will also include new fencing. Included in the budget is $6,364 that will come from the Public Works Capital Fund. This allocation comes as a result of the effects of the Fall Hill Bridge widening had on the surrounding neighborhood playgrounds.

A new, wider Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge that carries Fall Hill Avenue over I-95 was replaced an older bridge last year. The cost for the project was slightly over $44 million and while the city dealt with the initial costs it was VDOT who covered the funds for construction.

The total allocated through State and Local funds for all projects combined come to $3.3 million.