Dominion Substation Upgrades in Tysons Renew Discussion of Potential Dulles Toll Road Link

Dominion Energy is rebuilding its substation in Tysons, but will have to design the project around a long-planned ramp connecting downtown Tysons to the Dulles Toll Road.

At a Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 27, the Commission ultimately deferred a decision on the substation to March 13 to address technical details related to the site’s exterior. But while the substation itself is probably of little interest to most Tysonians, if they even spot it behind the dense tree-cover, the conversation at the meeting included plans on building around the station to construct a new connection from Tysons to the Dulles Toll Road.

The “Greensboro Drive Connection” is a proposed ramp that would bypass the substation and connect Tyco Road to the parallel Dulles Toll Road. The new route would include a direct extension to Greensboro Drive, ending west of The Rotunda and just north of The Boro development.

While the project is seen as less costly than other connectivity alternatives and would function as a fairly conventional exit/entrance ramp, county staff also noted that the ramp could potentially load large amounts of traffic onto Tyco Road and would not be bicycle or pedestrian friendly.

But Fairfax County Planning Commission members said the new road could help revitalize Tyco Road, currently a strip-mall type set of retail being outpaced by more Metro-adjacent developments to the west.

During the Planning Commission meeting, staff noted that the potential ramp could be located on either side of the station, though they would closely abut the station.

If the project does move forward, construction likely wouldn’t start until FY 2028.

According to Sheri Aiken, senior land use planner for McGuire Woods, LLC (which is representing Dominion) the existing substation has been in place since the early 1960s but requires an upgrade to handle increased demand from Tysons. Aiken said the rebuilt station will utilize GIS equipment and have an overall more efficient and less cluttered look. The chain link fence around the project is also planned to be replaced with a 12-foot wall.

“This station is critical to the future of Tysons and to the effort put forward by Dominion Energy to work with undergrounding of the line,” said Planning Commission member Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, who represents the Providence district.