South Culpeper to get sidewalks

As Culpeper grows so does its pedestrian population.

But for those who want to travel on foot between the Southgate Shopping Center south to Meadowbrook and beyond there's a four-lane highway to traverse and no sidewalks.

That pedestrian nightmare, however, is on track to be safely eliminated. Before the end of the year, Arthur Construction of Dulles - the same company that recently installed new sidewalks along Blue Ridge Avenue - will start construction on 1.4 miles of sidewalk on the eastern side of Madison Road.

The new sidewalks will start at the Route 3 intersection with South Main Street and continue to the town's southernmost corporate limits at Willis Lane.

Four years in the making, the project will cost $777,833 dollars with 80 percent funded by VDOT, using Federal Highway Administration dollars. Town funds will pay for the other 20 percent. It's the same federal program that covered improvements to the Depot back in the early 2000s, according to Town Planner John Lassiter.

The Madison Road sidewalk project is scheduled to take nine months to complete, per the contract between the town and Arthur Construction. Lassiter said town officials identified that area of town as "a walking route" and then pursued funding for sidewalks.

"You can see there is a worn path through there," he said of the grassy shoulder along that side of the road.

Once the new sidewalks are in place, pedestrians will be able to safely walk from Willis Lane all the way to the Mountain Run Lake Bridge on North Main Street.

After this project is finished, the town plans to pursue additional federal funding for sidewalks along Bus. 29, north of downtown.

Phase three of the project will consist of installing historic brick sidewalks along six blocks downtown.

Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101 or