Under Construction

Area Map

Telegraph Road Vicinity Map

Project at a Glance

Begin Date
Spring 2011

Est Completion Date
Summer 2014

Cost
Approximately $41 million

Locality
Fairfax

District
Northern Virginia

Contact

Robert A. Morris, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division
Federal Highway Administration
703-404-6302

Khalid Gandhi
703-259-2397

Project Background

Woodlawn Road and Beulah Street were closed to public access through Fort Belvoir as a security measure after Sept. 11, 2001. This meant a major loss of east-west arterials in this part of Fairfax County. 

Together, the U.S. Army, FHWA, VDOT and Fairfax County will construct a replacement road through Fort Belvoir from Richmond Highway (Route 1) to Telegraph Road (Route 611), to be named Mulligan Road.

When Mulligan Road opens to traffic, congestion on Telegraph Road would increase substantially unless Telegraph Road is also improved. For this reason, Telegraph Road will be widened from Beulah Street to Leaf Road, and will also be complete when Mulligan Road opens.

What's Being Done

Mulligan Road:  
This project will realign the  intersection of Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway (Route 235) with Mulligan Road (Route 619) at Route 1. Then crews will widen Old Mill Road/Mulligan Road to four lanes (divided) to Pole Road. 

The first phase from Pole Road to Telegraph Road through Fort Belvoir has been completed, and extended Mulligan Road on its new alignment north of Piney Run. Mulligan Road is not yet open, and the Phase II project under construction includes the remaining work to complete all construction and open the road. Features of the section between Route 1 and Pole Road:

• Four travel lanes and appropriate turn lanes
• Wide curb lanes to accommodate bicycles
• Raised, curbed medians
• Landscaping
• Five-foot sidewalks on both sides

Telegraph Road:
Telegraph Road, from Beulah Road to just south of Hayfield Road, will be similar to the portion previously constructed from Route 1 to Beulah Street. The Telegraph Road construction is included in the Mulligan Road Phase II Project. The road will be raised about 7 feet under traffic and includes:

• Four travel lanes and appropriate turn lanes
• Dedicated on-road bicycle lanes
• Raised, curbed medians
• Landscaping

Right of Way

Mulligan Road will widen what is currently Old Mill Road onto Woodlawn Plantation property. Mitigation for this impact has been addressed through a Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement. Once past Pole Road, Mulligan Road will be entirely on U.S. property at Fort Belvoir and the Humphries Engineer Center.

The Telegraph road widening will impact both Fort Belvoir/Humphries Engineer Center and private properties.

No displacements or relocations of families or businesses are anticipated. Right of way will be dedicated from Hill Top Sand and Gravel and permanent easements conveyed by the U.S. Army. As the project is further developed, additional easements for maintenance, construction, grading, storm water management, and utility relocations may be required beyond the proposed right of way shown on the project plans.

Environmental Information

An Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared by FHWA resulting in a "finding of no significant impact" (FONSI). Wetlands will be impacted on both Mulligan and Telegraph roads.

A noise analysis was also performed for the project under FHWA regulations and the VDOT State Noise Abatement Policy. Noise impacts were identified and mitigation was evaluated where warranted and feasible. The noise analysis contains further details.

Click here to review the environmental document on the FHWA website.

Project Schedule

Summer 2008: Final design (Phase I)
Fall 2008:  Begin construction (Phase I)
Spring 2011: Right-of-way acquisition
Spring 2011: Final Design (Phase II)
Fall 2011:  Begin utility relocations
Early 2012: Begin construction (Phase II)
Summer 2014: Open to traffic

Resources

 Public hearing brochure and presentation (May 26, 2009)
 Comments summary
 

State Project 0611-029-303, P102, R202, C502
Telegraph Road from Route 613 (Beulah Street) to 0.4 miles south of Hayfield Road (Rte 635)

State Project 0235-029-102, P101, R201, C501
Mulligan Road From Richmond Highway (Route 1) to Pole Road (Route 622)

FHWA Project VA-A-AD-48(2)
The Federal Highway Administration – Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (FHWA-EFLHD) in cooperation with VDOT and Fairfax County is developing the design for the two projects to be constructed together.