[flamehunter]

Interesting article in the N&A with some implications for development on the mountain.

460, Odd Fellows Road connector plan moves forward
By Ray Reed
Published: July 21, 2011
» 1 Comments | Post a Comment
A plan to connect Odd Fellows Road to U.S. 460 took a step forward Thursday when the metropolitan planning organization for Region 2000 approved $3 million for engineering and design work on the mile-long project.

The approval came after Lynchburg City Manager Kimball Payne received assurance from Jeff Kessler of the Virginia Department of Transportation that the rest of the money for the $30.5 million project was in the pipeline and its source would be fully identified in August.

Gov. Bob McDonnell surprised the region’s leaders in April by announcing that the Odd Fellows connector, a long-dormant idea on long-range road plans, should be under construction within three years.

Funding for the interchange is slated to come mostly from federal highway dollars, according to the state’s six-year improvement program. The state would provide $550,000.

No study has been done of an exact route for the connector, Kessler said.

But the project, in concept, would cross U.S. 460 and enter onto land owned by Liberty University at the base of Candlers Mountain.

Entrance ramps, to be constructed on the southeastern side of the highway, also would open up the LU land to commercial development, according to Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.

Falwell has said the site also could accommodate a civic center

http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2011/j ... r-1188703/

[ALUmnus]

This would be great. I've always wanted them to extend Odd Fellows to 460, but I didn't know that it was ever even considered. This would really reduce traffic on Mayflower and the Mayflower/Candlers intersection. I work off of Odd Fellows, so I would love this for my daily commute. It will be interesting to see how it would be connected to LU's land accross 460. Hopefully it will not involve any unnecessary stoplights.

[UVALibertyFan]

I think the plan is a standard diamond interchange so the road would likely cross 460 and dead end there unless a civic center or Liberty plans something there. I would think even if the civic center isn't built there Liberty will build a road from the new interchange back to the Wingate along the bottom of the mountain to open that land up for future use.