Three Chopt Road in Henrico to be widened for safety, traffic

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A two-mile stretch of Three Chopt Road in western Henrico County will be getting a makeover over the course of the next three years.

The area between Barrington Hills Drive and a spot 1,000 feet east of Gaskins Road will be widened to a four-lane divided roadway.

I spoke with Henrico residents who live and drive along this stretch daily. They tell me the changes are a long time coming — not just because of the flow of traffic, but also because of the added safety it's expected to bring.

"We were hoping that we would see improvements," Ian Trapp said. "I kind of hope that they take into account the diversity of transportation styles in a community like this and that they are willing to try to make it work for people, not just with vehicles."

Trapp has lived along Three Chopt for nine years.

"Definitely needed sometimes we leave out homes and we don't want to drive, we want to walk," Norman Duncan said. "I see people walking the streets all the time so it's long overdue."

Duncan has lived along Three Chopt for 32 years.

Public Works Director Terrell Hughes presented the project to board members during Tuesday's Henrico Board of Supervisors meeting. A contract was officially awarded after a bidding process between three contractors to the tune of $45.5 million, with approximately $34 million coming from federal dollars.

"Sidewalks on both sides of the roadway closed drainage, public water, signing and pavement markings," Hughes said. "We're going to have to build this road under much higher traffic conditions. So that's one of the challenges associated with the project."

The planned improvements come more than a year after an 11-year-old was struck and killed on Three Chopt near the Tuckahoe middle school.

"I want to see change that hopefully prevent terrible things like that from happening instead of reacting to them," Trapp said. "I think those are all really good improvements, and I hope that we continue to see incremental improvements as we move forward."

The project is slated to begin in November. Henrico says the nature of the project for such a busy roadway will present delays, and we will be sure to update you on those impacts once the project begins.

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