In Design: Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements in Fairfax County

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Note: View the Revised Environmental Assessment here and the revised Socioeconomics and Land Use Technical Report here. Email your comments (please put "Richmond Highway Corridor Improvements Environmental Document" in the subject line) or mail them to Ms. Anissa Brown, Virginia Department of Transportation, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 through Aug. 31. View the transcript from the October 2018 public information meeting and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public hearing here.

This project along three miles of Richmond Highway (Route 1) is being done in two phases: Jeff Todd Way to just north of Frye Road (Phase 1), and then just north of Frye Road to Sherwood Hall Lane (Phase 2). Due to additional analysis and design refinements over the last several months, the project team is working on a phased approach that will allow the right of way process and construction to happen concurrently.

Jeff Todd Way to Just North of Frye Road (Phase 1)

Improvements include:

Widening about 1.5 miles of Richmond Highway from four to six lanes
Adding separate two-way cycle tracks and sidewalks on both sides of the road
Reserving median width to accommodate Fairfax County's future dedicated bus-only lanes
Intersection improvements including at Mount Vernon Memorial Highway and at Sacramento Drive
Replacing the bridges over Dogue Creek and the North Fork of Dogue Creek

Just North of Frye Road to Sherwood Hall Lane (Phase 2)

Improvements include:

Widening about 1.5 miles of Richmond Highway from four to six lanes
Adding separate two-way cycle tracks and sidewalks on both sides of the road
Reserving median width to accommodate Fairfax County's future dedicated bus-only lanes
Intersection improvements including at Radford Avenue, Russell Road and Mount Vernon Highway
Realignment of Buckman Road to align with Mohawk Lane
Replacing the bridge over Little Hunting Creek

All pedestrian and bicycle accommodations will be ADA-compliant, turn lanes will be extended wherever possible to improve safety and capacity, and signals throughout the three-mile Route 1 corridor will also be optimized.

In 2015, the Route 1 Multimodal Alternatives Analysis, sponsored by VDOT, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, as well as Fairfax and Prince William counties, identified improvements needed to best meet the needs of both the community and corridor travelers. Key recommendations included a Bus Rapid Transit system constructed in three phases; long-term, a three-mile extension of the Metro Yellow Line to Hybla Valley, and short-term, widening Route 1 with bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

For more information visit Fairfax County's site on the county's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and the Embark Richmond Highway initiative. While BRT will not be constructed as part of this project, VDOT and Fairfax County are closely coordinating as both projects move forward.

The project team continues public outreach and meetings as design progresses.

Estimated Costs
Preliminary Engineering: $16 million
Right of Way Acquisition and Utility Relocation: $163.5 million
Construction: $192.5 million
Total: $372 million

Preliminary engineering and right of way for both phases have been fully funded by federal, state and county sources, as well as the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

Richmond Highway averages up to 55,000 vehicles a day within the project limits.

Benefits

The project aims to improve safety, reduce congestion, and help increase the community’s multimodal options.

Major Milestones

First Public Information Meeting - April 2017
Second Public Information Meeting - November 2017
Third Public Information Meeting - April 2018
Fourth Public Information Meeting - October 2018
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Public Hearing - October 2018
Design Public Hearing - March 2019
Revised Environmental Assessment Available - August 2020
Revised Environmental Assessment Public Comment Deadline - Aug. 31, 2020
Begin Right of Way Acquisition - Fall 2020

Pending funding, construction could begin as early as 2025 and is expected to take about three to four years to complete.