OUR VIEW: Lofty plans have U.S. 29 looking like an interstate

» The $1.5 million study of a 219-mile stretch of U.S. 29 is wishful thinking at this point, but it serves as a good blueprint.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Transportation, in conjunction with a private consultant, presented a one-year, $1.5 million study that examined a 219-mile stretch of U.S. 29 from Gainesville to the North Carolina line.

The result? Central Virginia’s workhorse highway could one day resemble an interstate, complete with bypasses, flyovers at major intersections and the elimination of stoplights.

Sound too good to be true? It is. At least for now, anyway. For starters, the state is broke. We won’t even keep our rest areas open. Why, some are asking, did the state commission such a silly study?

In their defense, VDOT and the Parsons Transportation Group aren’t proposing we make the changes overnight. Think of the recommendations — which are still in the early stages and must be approved by the state — as a long-term blueprint to keep traffic flowing along a large portion of one of Virginia’s busiest roads.

Looking into the future, and paying a few bucks to do it, isn’t such a bad idea. In fact, it’s good planning.

Whether you agree with the findings of the study is an entirely different point. On those lines, it should be noted that VDOT scheduled a series of public meetings, like the one in Culpeper, to gather input before presenting the plan to the Commonwealth Transportation Board next month.

Overall, we like what the future holds for U.S. 29, especially in Culpeper County. Of course, transportation officials will need to work with localities to make sure the expansion has minimal effect on residential properties, businesses and historic land such as Civil War battlefields (Brandy Station comes to mind). And while we probably won’t live to see all of these improvements, once complete, they will be beneficial for generations to come.

» ONLINE: Want to learn more about the Route 29 Corridor Study? Visit virginiadot.org and click “projects and studies” then “Route 29.” For a county-by-county breakdown, download the zip file under the “map displays” link.