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ReThink9 is a comprehensive traffic-calming, pedestrian safety and infrastructure project on Route 9 in historic Hillsboro that will have positive impacts beyond the Town and along the Route 9 corridor. The project will relieve severe congestion for the more than 17,000 daily vehicle trips through Hillsboro and vastly improve vehicular and pedestrian safety. With the installation of modern infrastructure, the project will benefit residents and businesses, and enable expansion of economic opportunity in the hub of a dynamic rural economy. Through its meticulous design and extensive use of context-sensitive material, the project will respect and complement the unique historical authenticity and integrity of Hillsboro, one of the Commonwealth’s best preserved Early-American rural villages.
Join us on our journey to improve safety, protect our rural economy and heritage—and bring modern infrastructure into an important historic region.
Messages from the Mayor
To the ReThink9 Community:
How Public Input Shaped the ReThink9 Traffic Management Framework
In a letter from Mayor Vance, he recaps the major elements of the ReThink9 project and how public input went into the final maintenance of traffic framework.
A Message from Mayor Vance: Hillsboro Always Advocates for Our Local Businesses
To our ReThink9 community: The Town cares deeply about our local economy along the corridor and in the northwestern region of the county and has publicly been a strong advocate of needs of our rural businesses. Contrary to misleading press reports, no decision on a...
ReThink9 Press Releases:
PRESS RELEASE: The Town of Hillsboro Releases ReThink9 Construction Schedule
Schedule built to address major concerns of broad community; transformative Route 9 project in historic Hillsboro begins in March with completion expected in May 2021.
PRESS RELEASE: Town of Hillsboro Opens Bids on Schedule for Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Project
The Town of Hillsboro opened bids from three qualified prime contractors for its ReThink9 Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Project on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019.
Read About the ReThink9 Project Framework
“Build It Once, Build It Right, Build It Now”
Four Problems to Solve
- Traffic Safety, Speed and Congestion – with no safe pedestrian access or parking
- Unsafe Drinking Water – the Town has a Boil Water Notice and VDH Consent Order
- Lack of Municipal Wastewater – no proper collection or treatment facility and failing private septics
- Lack of Storm Water Management – causing damage to roadway and private properties
A Choice Was Made
- Town must take action for public health and safety
- Could approach as four discrete projects resulting in years of ongoing construction in Town and disruption to the entire corridor
- The Town chose to integrate four projects into one to enable concurrent construction
- This results in less time and disruption, a cost savings of millions of dollars and an increase in the quality of the end product
Town Principles Guiding Management of Project
The Town of Hillsboro has four overarching principles that will guide its management of the Hillsboro Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Project.
Construction Duration
The project is to be delivered in the most time-efficient manner as is practicable with the intent to reduce the burden of construction on Hillsboro and area-wide residents, local motorists, in-town and area-wide businesses, tourists and regional commuters. The current schedule anticipates four hundred twenty-eight (428) calendar days of construction duration using a combination of full and partial road closures and incentives/disincentives to deliver the project on schedule.
Finished Product Quality and Durability
The project is to be executed with utmost attention to ensure the highest quality and durability of the finished product, including traffic-calming elements, reducing the risk of high long-term maintenance costs and maintaining the historical integrity of the Town of Hillsboro.
Safety
The project is to be built with rigorous attention to construction worker safety and the safety of Hillsboro residents and all motorists that traverse the route. Throughout the duration of the project the contractor will maintain access for emergency vehicles into and through the work zone and for trips originating or ending in the work zone for local residents and businesses. Detailed signage, in accordance with VDOT standards for construction, will be utilized for the regional and local detour routes.
Cost Effectiveness
In consideration of Town, Loudoun County and Northern Virginia taxpayers, the project is to be delivered with the highest degree of productivity possible and at the lowest reasonable cost.
In alignment with these overarching principles, the Town has worked diligently with VDOT to create a revised Maintenance of Traffic plan that reduces project duration by half and provides the project contractor with an extraordinary level of flexibility to encourage creativity and innovation in developing a construction approach and schedule.
Revised Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Pattern Plan
The general sequence of work is to construct the east and west roundabouts to a satisfactory level of operation (Phases 1 and 2). Once both roundabouts are functioning, construction along Rt. 9 and the adjacent roads will proceed (Phase 3). Substantial completion of the project is with fully operational roundabouts, Rt. 9 and adjacent roadways constructed in accordance with the contract plans and documents.
Phases 1 and 2. The early construction of the roundabouts shall be performed out of traffic and/or with daily lane closures. Daily lane closures are allowed during non-peak hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Weekend daily lane closures are allowed between 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
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Phases 1 and 2 Daily Lane Closures Under Flagger Operations |
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| Mon-Thu | 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Fri | 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. |
| Sat-Sun | 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
Phase 3. Once both roundabouts are functioning, Rt. 9 can be reduced to a continuous single lane closure between the roundabouts and the detour plan will be implemented. During the morning rush hour of 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Monday thru Friday, Rt. 9 shall have a single lane of traffic for eastbound traffic. After 9:30 a.m., Rt. 9 can be closed to all thru traffic until 4:00 a.m. the following day, Monday thru Thursday. On Friday, the full closure of Rt. 9 is allowed between 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. After 2:00 p.m. on Fridays, Rt. 9 shall have a single lane of thru traffic for westbound traffic through the weekend. Traffic will be switched to a single lane eastbound on Sunday in the evening.
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Phase 3 Route 9 Travel Times and Direction |
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| Day | Times Open to One-Lane Traffic | Traffic Flow |
| Mon-Fri | 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (daily) | EB |
| Fri-Sun | 2:00 p.m. (Fri) to 6:00 p.m. (Sun) | WB |
| Sun-Mon | 6:00 p.m. (Sun) to 9:30 a.m. (Mon) | EB |
In addition, the contract allows for a total sixty (60) days of a full road closure within Town boundaries with no through traffic after the initial roundabouts become operational and prior to substantial completion. The Hillsboro full road closure must be supported with a detour and fourteen (14) calendar days advance notice from the contractor. The full road closure restricts ALL traffic along Rt. 9 in both directions within Town boundaries except for emergency vehicles and residents within the project limits. The sixty (60) calendar days can be used at the contractor’s discretion with the following conditions:
- Five (5) calendar days minimum duration
- Thirty (30) calendar days maximum duration
Notes:
- Both roundabouts are single lane
- There will be truck restrictions on the Hillsboro detour during Phase 3
- VDOT will implement lower speed restrictions along the Hillsboro detour
- The Town has established an incentive and dis-incentive pool to facilitate timely delivery of the project
- There may be updates to timing as the plan moves forward
This MOT plan is subject to refinement as we continue to meet with the public and stakeholders. Once a contract has been awarded, the contractor will present a formal schedule and sequence of work plan and potential revision to this MOT. We will make that public when available.
Proposed Detour Routes
The plan includes both “Regional Detour” and “Hillsboro Detour” around the Town construction limits. Click on the links below to open each map.
MOT Plan Set
Please click on the link below to view the MOT plan sheets as approved by VDOT on October 24, 2019.
Traffic Data Sets
Please click on the link below to view the Traffic Data Sets.
Text keyword "RETHINK9" to 888-777 to receive project traffic alerts to your phone.
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