The Chesterfield Transportation Department hosted a virtual meeting to discuss upcoming drainage improvements at the Otterdale Road crossing over Swift Creek, located just north of Genito Road. The planned work is part of a $47 million project funded through the county’s $300 million transportation bond sale from June 2024.
The scope of the project includes building a one-third-mile multispan bridge, raising the road by 10 to 15 feet, installing additional drainage infrastructure, and adding a sidewalk along the west side. The new bridge will reach up to 27 feet at its highest point and is designed to withstand a 100-year storm event without water overtopping the road.
Nate Mathis, principal engineer with CDOT and project manager for the improvements, said, “We have had eight road closures at this location in just the past two years. That’s quite a lot. It’s something that needs to be addressed.”
Otterdale Road serves as an important route in western Chesterfield County. This latest initiative will address persistent flooding at the fourth of five crossings on Otterdale Road identified in a detailed study conducted by consultant JMT in 2020.
After significant flooding caused by an August 2020 storm that brought over ten inches of rain within one day, funding was approved for replacing crossings at Horsepen Creek, Blackman Creek, and Otterdale Branch. These projects were completed ahead of schedule in December 2023.
“That project was a big success,” Mathis said. “It was disruptive for a period because of detours, but people who live and travel in that area now don’t have to worry about the road being flooded.”
The Board of Supervisors has authorized CDOT to use design-build procurement for this phase as well. This approach is expected to speed up completion while attracting competition among contractors and ensuring construction quality through pre-screening during the Request for Qualifications process.
A request to award a design-build contract will be considered by the Board at its August 27 meeting. If approved, final design could be finished and construction started by fall 2026.
Plans call for closing Otterdale Road north of Genito Road roundabout in summer 2028 for less than three months—about one-third as long as previous closures—with reopening scheduled before schools resume that August.
Residents can submit public comments on the project through an online survey until September 18 at 5 p.m., or find more information on the county website or by contacting Transportation or Nate Mathis directly.
