As a City Councilor, architect Kathleen Galvin championed this bridge replacement project and made local hiring during construction a priority (see resolution below.) The Richmond, VA firm of Kimley-Horn worked with the community to develop a new design for the bridge, based on three years of engagement that included a citizen steering committee, open-houses and meetings that attracted hundreds of participants. The new bridge will have travel ways for walkers and cyclists; modern structural piers and railings; more pedestrian-scale lighting and street trees. It has received state and local funding.
“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Charlottesville City Council directs the City Manager and his staff to work with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC), the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Piedmont Workforce Network (PWN) Council and Board to develop strategies to promote local recruitment for VDOT training programs and hiring as they pertain to regionally significant transportation projects like the Belmont Bridge, within nine (9) months of passing this resolution.”
(Adopted by City Council December 2016)
Images Courtesy of Kimley-Horn
