Charlottesville Tomorrow’s successful Kickstarter campaign results in an impressive 3D rendering of the probably-soon-to-be-built-and-already-obsolete Western Bypass.

U.S. 29 Western Bypass, Northern Interchange – 2012 Design from Charlottesville Tomorrow on Vimeo.

I’m categorizing this post under both “Transportation” and “Politics” and if I could weight the categories, I’d weight it more heavily towards Politics.

The one thing I can’t find on the extremely comprehensive Cvillepedia entry on the Western Bypass is – when did the Western Bypass idea begin? But – on VDOT’s page (linked from cvillepedia, bolding by me):

A western Route 29 bypass around Charlottesville was originally proposed in 1979. Engineering and environmental work on the project began in late 1984 and the location was approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in 1990.

Acquisition of right of way for the project began in 1991 and continued until 2001. No additional right of way has been purchased since then. VDOT owns 36 properties that are currently leased and occupied.