Federal RAISE Grant Advances Chippenham Parkway-Hopkins Road Improvements
TL;DR: Chesterfield County has secured a federal RAISE planning grant to fund design of improvements at the Chippenham Parkway/Hopkins Road interchange and conceptual plans for a road diet on Hopkins Road.
Quick facts
- Who: Chesterfield County
- What: RAISE planning grant for interchange design and road diet conceptual plans
- When: Planning underway; community meeting anticipated September 2026
- Where: Chippenham Parkway/Hopkins Road interchange and Hopkins Road between Meadowdale Boulevard and Beulah Road
The story
Chesterfield County has received a federal RAISE grant to advance the design phase of long-planned improvements at the Chippenham Parkway and Hopkins Road interchange, one of the region's most collision-prone intersections. The grant will also fund development of conceptual plans for a "road diet" on Hopkins Road between Meadowdale Boulevard and Beulah Road, an approach that typically reduces lane counts to create space for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure while improving safety.
The RAISE program, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is designed to fund transportation projects that advance national objectives related to safety, sustainability, economic competitiveness, and community connectivity. Planning grants like this one support the design and feasibility work that precedes capital construction.
The county plans to hold a community meeting to discuss the road diet proposal in September 2026, when residents will have the opportunity to learn more about the project scope and planned traffic modifications. The county has not yet disclosed the specific dollar amount of this planning grant. For more information, residents can contact Alexandra Castrechini at 804-748-1037 or castrechinia@chesterfield.gov.
Key players
- Chesterfield County: Grant recipient and project sponsor
- U.S. Department of Transportation: Federal grant funder
- Alexandra Castrechini: County contact for project inquiries
Key dates
- 2026-09: Community meeting on road diet proposal anticipated
The case for
A road diet can improve pedestrian safety and access while maintaining vehicle capacity through better intersection geometry and signal timing, supported by federal sustainability and equity objectives.
The case against
Reducing lanes may increase congestion during peak commuting hours, particularly at an already-constrained interchange, and requires careful traffic modeling to avoid shifting delays to adjacent corridors.
Why it matters: The Hopkins Road and Chippenham Parkway area is a known safety concern with hundreds of crashes over the past decade. This planning phase could lead to concrete improvements that reduce collisions and expand safe walking and biking options in the Meadowbrook area.
Places
Development timeline
- 2026-08-20Chesterfield County announces RAISE planning grant for Hopkins Road/Chippenham Parkway project: County secures federal RAISE grant for design and road diet planning at Chippenham Parkway/Hopkins Road interchange [source]
- 2026-09Community meeting on Hopkins Road road diet proposal: Anticipated meeting to discuss road diet conceptual plans for Hopkins Road between Meadowdale Boulevard and Beulah Road [source]
Related links
- Chesterfield County RAISE Grant Alert
- Chesterfield County Transportation Projects
- U.S. DOT RAISE Grant Program
Read the original at Transportation Projects →
Sources
- Chesterfield County Civic Alert: RAISE Grant for Chippenham Parkway/Hopkins Road
- U.S. DOT Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program
- Chesterfield County Transportation Projects