VDOT plans Route 288 shoulder-running project for Goochland commuters

Drivers heading north on Route 288 from Goochland should eventually see shoulder-running between Route 711, also known as Huguenot Trail, in Powhatan County and Route 6, or Patterson Avenue, in Goochland County, as VDOT moves ahead with a $18.4 million project aimed at easing congestion and improving travel reliability.

The plan calls for intelligent transportation system infrastructure and pavement work that would let the shoulder carry traffic when conditions warrant. For commuters who use 288 to reach western Henrico, Powhatan and the Route 64 corridor, that could mean less stop-and-go merging, steadier travel times and less stress during the busiest parts of the day.

PlanRVA materials show how the change would work on the ground. The existing northbound shoulder between the Route 711 on-ramp and the Route 6 off-ramp would be rebuilt to 13 feet wide, creating an 11-foot hard running shoulder plus a 2-foot shoulder. Gantries with signs are part of the design so drivers know when the shoulder is open for use and when it is not.

The project has already moved well beyond a concept. VDOT advertised it on January 13, 2026, and set a letting date of March 25, 2026. The agency’s Richmond District transportation update described the work as another step in its push to use innovation and efficiency to improve congestion and travel reliability along one of the region’s heavily used corridors.

Goochland County says the hard shoulder running lane, also called a part-time shoulder use lane, was recommended in the Route 288 STARS Study completed in 2018. The county’s project timeline places preliminary engineering from 2023 to 2025 and construction from 2027 to 2029, while a county calendar notice shows VDOT held a design public hearing on July 18, 2024, at James River High School in Midlothian.

Regional planning documents also show the project has been adjusted to fit funding and delivery. PlanRVA says VDOT asked to split the scope into two separate UPCs, one for ITS and technology funding and one for roadway improvements. That kind of packaging underscores that the Route 288 shoulder-running plan is part of a broader traffic-management strategy, not a one-off fix. For Goochland commuters, it is another sign that the county’s daily travel picture is being reshaped by regional corridor management as much as by traditional road widening.