Lynchburg City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the future of Ericsson Drive, a short public street found on the Liberty University campus, next to the LaHaye Ice Center.
The city has hoped for years to one day extend Ericsson Drive out to Wards Road, creating a connection between that busy corridor and U.S. 460. A right-of-way across the LU campus was secured for that purpose.
LU is now asking the city to give up that right-of-way, citing in part its ongoing efforts to make its campus more pedestrian friendly.
An extended Ericsson Drive would generate new through-traffic across campus, LU officials note. It would also heighten the burden placed on a new set of vehicular tunnels the school plans to build out to Wards Road.
A traffic study commissioned by the school as part of its recent master plan revision advised that the planned tunnels would need to be widened if Ericsson Drive were extended.
The widening would come in the form of a new lane dedicated to right-hand turns out onto Wards Road. It’s expected the city would pay for the addition should the new lane become necessary. The estimated cost is between $1.5 million and $2 million.
City Council’s physical development committee heard LU’s request in December. The committee forwarded the matter to the full council without any recommendation.
A public hearing on the issue will be held during council’s meeting beginning 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 900 Church St.
It’s expected officials will then table the matter for further discussion at its Jan. 27 work session.
Also Tuesday, council will hold a hearing on a proposal to sell three vacant, city-owned lots to developer Long Meadows Inc.
Long Meadows has offered $70,000 for about six acres of residentially zoned property in the Fulton Street area. It’s expected any future development of the land will be residential in nature.
The purchase offer was one of a handful received last year in response to a request for proposals put out by the city.
The physical development committee, which has been heading up the matter until now, deemed it desirable to get the properties back on the tax rolls by putting them in private hands.
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