Tempers ran high during the Virginia Department of Transportation’s virtual public meeting on its Interstate 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project on Wednesday (Nov. 18).

With a Dec. 4 deadline for public comment on the project’s environmental assessment and initial design plans approaching fast, some community members criticized VDOT for a perceived lack of transparency and asked why the project is being pursued now instead of waiting for Maryland to undertake its long-gestating plan to improve the American Legion Bridge.

“More has to be done now to look at the basics, because the studies that VDOT has presented are inadequate,” McLean resident April Georgelas argued. “It’s inappropriate to pursue this any further and put citizens through the stress that we don’t need right now for a project that will only do harm for our area.”

Initiated in the spring of 2018, the 495 NEXT project proposes extending the existing 495 Express Lanes roughly three miles from the Dulles Toll Road and I-495 interchange to the George Washington Memorial Parkway near the American Legion Bridge.

VDOT would replace bridges to accommodate the express lanes, add a bicycle and pedestrian trail, construct new noise walls where necessary, and provide stormwater management facilities.

Virginia transportation officials say extending the 495 Express Lanes will help reduce congestion in one of the most congested corridors in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, while also improving travel reliability and reducing the amount of cut-through traffic that currently goes through neighborhood streets in McLean and Great Falls.

According to VDOT’s analysis, the 495 NEXT project would move approximately 2,500 more people per hour in both directions through the corridor starting in 2025. It would move 5,400 more people an hour if Maryland completes its American Legion Bridge project, though that is not likely to be finished until 2027.

By 2045, I-495 would be able to carry an additional 7,600 people an hour in both directions combined with the express lanes extended, VDOT says.

“This facility will provide a running way for carpools, vanpools, and transit vehicles to be able to provide reliable and faster trips than what could be accomplished under the current congested conditions,” VDOT Special Project Development Associate Manager Abraham Lerner said.

While the McLean Citizens Association has expressed support for 495 NEXT, many community members have raised concerns about the planned bike trail location, the ramps that have been proposed as modifications to the Dulles Toll Road interchange, and potential environmental and neighborhood impacts.

According to VDOT Megaprojects Director Susan Shaw, the project is anticipated to affect 35 acres of trees with its first phase of construction and about 3,000 feet of stream in Scotts Run, 70% of which is already significantly degraded.

Shaw says VDOT has committed to doing a tree survey prior to any removals to determine what trees should be replanted where possible and working with Fairfax County on stream restoration.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust urged VDOT to look for alternatives for the Dulles Toll Road interchange. The current plan involves three phases of new ramps being constructed.

“The impact of those ramps on that area of the county, which includes residential neighborhoods and Tysons – which we’re trying to create as a transit-oriented community – is going to be overwhelming,” Foust said. “Clearly, there’s a lot of traffic there, but right now…what you’re ending up [with] there is a spaghetti network of ramps that’s going to be very destructive to that entire area of Fairfax County.”

Photo via Google Maps

Despite — or maybe because of — the coronavirus, the Virginia Department of Transportation is on track to open new express lanes on I-66 in December 2022.

“There have been some project benefits in terms of reduced traffic volumes in the corridor,” VDOT megaprojects director Susan Shaw said during a virtual presentation and Q&A last Thursday (Oct. 29).

Longer-term lane closures were possible this year that would have resulted in gridlock pre-pandemic, she said.

Construction on I-66 continues during daytime and overnight hours, as weather allows. VDOT, I-66 Express Mobility Partners, and FAM Construction — the design-builder for the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project — updated commuters and residents through two online meetings last week.

Although the express lanes are predicted to open in December 2022, some construction on the project will continue into 2023.

Many lane closures will extend through end of the year, but in areas where congestion has started to snarl during peak hours, officials are looking to add back some lanes and abate traffic.

And with the pandemic showing no signs of ending, it is “really hard to say how the overall project will be impacted,” Shaw says.

All the late-night construction means there will be noisy nights, but VDOT is working with Fairfax and local supervisors’ offices to communicate construction plans to residents, she said.

“There are some activities that have to be done at night and do have to be noisy,” Shaw said.

The ramp from I-66 East to Route 28 North was closed from 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday to 4 a.m. on Wednesday to allow for a traffic shift onto a temporary left exit ramp from Route 28 North to I-66 East, VDOT said in an email.

Officials expect the temporary ramp to be in use for four weeks, while crews finish constructing a permanent ramp from Route 28 North to I-66 East.

Drivers traveling from Lee Highway South to Route 28 North will not be able to access the temporary ramp. These drivers will need to take detours farther south on Route 29 to the I-66/Route 29 interchange in Centreville until the permanent right-side ramp from Route 28 North to I-66 East is opened.

Tysons area residents and commuters can expect a number of other construction activities to affect travel starting in mid-November, including:

• Closure of the I-66 East and Nutley Street North loop ramp, redirecting travelers exiting I-66 for Nutley onto temporary ramps
• Continued construction of a new Gallows Road bridge over I-66 in Dunn Loring, which is occurring in two phases to maintain traffic flow during construction, according to Smith
• Temporary realignment of the W&OD Trail at Idylwood Park, starting in late November and continuing for four to six months as crews build a new, permanent alignment

A new ramp at the I-495 interchange was completed recently, and deck work for a new bridge is starting soon, FAM Construction spokesperson Nancy Smith said. The I-495 interchange will have eight ramps to connect the express I-66 East/West lanes to I-495 North/South general purpose lanes.

Construction on VDOT’s I-66 Outside the Beltway project has been ongoing since 2017, starting after new express lanes opened on I-66 inside the Beltway on Dec. 4 of that year.

Watch an animated video of changes planned for I-66 here:

Photos via VDOT/Youtube 

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project (DCMP) announced that motorists in Tysons East can expect road work on the realignment of Old Meadow Road to continue through the end of the month.

Old Meadow Road runs from Dolley Madison Blvd. at the McLean Metro station to Dolley Madison Apartments along a corridor of office complexes. The realignment aims to connect the road with Capital One Tower Drive but has experienced several delays.

The project started in the spring and was slated to be complete by the end of August, but a press release from DCMP said work will continue at least until the end of September, at which time work will begin on a new median.

“As the realignment of Old Meadow Road with Capital One Tower Drive at Dolley Madison Boulevard (Route 123), near the Capital Beltway in Tysons, continues motorists can expect to see the travel lanes shift near the end of September as work moves from the south side of Old Meadow Road to the median area.,” DCMP said in a press release.

DCMP said weather and various site conditions led to delays in the first phase of the work. The last month has had multiple severe storms and extensive flooding. Crews have since completed the new drainage infrastructure at the site and are working on new sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

The full press release is below: Read More

Updated 11:15 a.m. — The VDOT in-person meeting will be held on Oct. 8, not Oct.7. 

As traffic congestion increases on I-495, the McLean Citizens Association approved a resolution at last night’s meeting in support of a project to add express lanes.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is considering the express lanes as part of an expansion along the highway in McLean leading up to the American Legion Bridge

The changes, as they stand, would extend the I-495 Express Lanes north from the I-495 and Dulles Access Road interchange up to the American Legion Bridge and add two new tolled express lanes in each direction.

Discussion during MCA’s meeting last night on the express lanes focused on environmental concerns and the Maryland Department of Transporation’s plans to update its side of the bridge.

When it comes to environmental factors, the proposed changes would destroy 118 acres of trees and interfere with Scott Run’s Nature Preserve along with the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, according to the proposal.

Yet another concern with the removal of trees would be the elimination of sound and visual barriers for some McLean residents, a board member said.

To minimize harm to the trees, MCA requested in the resolution that VDOT conduct a study to determine the species of trees that will be removed and that VDOT tries to minimize harm to healthy and established foliage, like having a replanting program.

Additionally, the project currently does not have a stormwater management plan, despite evidence that watersheds and drainage ponds would be interrupted.

The MCA indicated conditional support for the project as long as VDOT address these issues and make amends for potential damage.

“[The] greatest impact of the project will fall on the Scott’s Run Nature Preserve and GW Parkway. And every effort should be made to minimize the footprint of the facility and avoid temporary use of parkland during construction,” an MCA board member said at the meeting. 

In terms of MDOT’s involvement with the project, many board members expressed concern about misalignment with the state’s timelines.

For example, the VDOT 495 NEXT project is expected to be completed years before MDOT improves the American Legion Bridge and the portion of I-495 between the GW Parkway and I-270, according to the resolution.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said earlier this year that timeline misalignment would be a “huge” mistake.

Still, VDOT predicts that Virginia’s part of the work will reduce cut-thru traffic on local roads, increase I-495’s capacity and improve travel time on I-495 — even if Maryland doesn’t do anything, the resolution said.

Despite barriers and concerns, MCA Transportation Committee Chair David Wuehrmann suggested at the meeting that other board members vote in support of the resolution.

“If you’re not inclined to vote for this, you need to think about what will replace it,” he said, noting the importance of congestion relief on I-495.

Inevitably, the resolution passed last night by a 25-5 vote from the MCA board members.

Going forward, VDOT is scheduled to have an online public hearing on Oct. 5 and an in-person meeting on Oct. 8, according to an MCA board member.

Wuehrmann said that the MCA now has three goals when it comes to the 495 NEXT project — to reaffirm support for the project, encourage VDOT to commit to environmental relief and work toward congestion relief at the American Legion Bridge and connecting roads.

Image via Google Maps

Realigning Old Meadow Road at Dolley Madison Blvd (Route 123) in Tysons is taking a little bit longer than anticipated.

Work to shift the travel lane started in the spring and was slated to be finished by mid-August. Now, drivers and pedestrians likely won’t see the change until the end of the month, according to an update from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

“Adjusting to the COVID-19 outbreak and differing site conditions delayed the completion of the first phase of the work, which included sidewalk and pavement demolition,” according to the update.

The realignment aims to improve access between the Capital One campus and Old Meadow Road. The work is a part of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Silver Line project.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project noted that crews from subcontractor W.M. Schlosser have finished drainage infrastructure and are working on signal equipment and landscaping along the south side of Old Meadow Road and the east side of Dolley Madison Blvd.

Once the lane shifts are completed, the crews will then start constructing a new median on Old Meadow Road at the intersection.

Work on the median, which is expected to start at the end of August, will require a southward lane shift of eastbound Old Meadow Road, according to the update.

Photo courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Leesburg Pike in Tysons is getting new sidewalks and pedestrian ramps.

The work is a part of the Silver Line Phase 1, according to the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

“This work includes the installation of underdrain, sidewalk crack repairs, manholes and other drainage structure repairs, and ensuring pedestrian ramps meet the latest ADA code standards,” the project update said.

Work has already been finished on the eastbound side, and now crews are working on the westbound side of Leesburg Pike before starting similar work along Route 123 near Tysons Blvd.

While the work is underway, pedestrians are asked to use temporary detours and drivers can expect signs and barricades.

“Large, slow moving vehicles may be exiting and entering the highway at various times,” the update said.

Photo courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Work has recently started to realign Old Meadow Road at Dolley Madison Blvd (Route 123) in Tysons.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Silver Line project is doing the work to realign the road with the main entrance to the Capital One complex, according to the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

The work started on Sunday (March 29) and will continue until Friday (April 3).

More from the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project:

Nighttime closures are planned this weekend to permit the installation of Jersey barriers. The right turn lane of northbound Route 123 will be closed at Old Meadow Road as well as the right eastbound lane of Old Meadow Road to facilitate construction. At least one lane of Old Meadow Road will remain open at all times in each direction.

The first phase of the project will take approximately eight weeks to complete and includes demolition of existing sidewalk and curb and gutter. Follow-on work includes installation of new storm drainage; installation of a new traffic lane, new sidewalk and new curb and gutter; and installation of new signaling equipment. Please drive carefully and safely in the area and remain aware of pedestrians and construction workers.

People can expect the left turn lane to Old Meadow Road from southbound Route 123 and the right turn lane to Old Meadow Road from northbound Route 123 to be closed from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday.

Meanwhile, the right lane of eastbound Old Meadow Road will be closed from Route 123 to Colshire Meadow Road during the same days and times.

Image via Google Maps

As plans proceed for a newly approved pipeline in Pimmit Hills, a group of residents is continuing to push Washington Gas to reroute the project.

More than 100 Pimmit Hills residents gathered earlier this month to protest the installation of a new natural gas pipeline that Washington Gas plans to place in a neighborhood between Tysons and Falls Church.

The project, which was originally rejected twice by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), finally received the green light in late 2019.

The project includes roughly five miles of pipeline intended to support developmental growth in Tysons, according to documentation from the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association (PHCA).

Roughly five feet underground in the Virginia Department of Transit right of way, the pipeline will sit directly under the road, Washington Gas Spokesperson Brian Edwards said.

Lines will run under Cherri, Fisher and Peabody drives in Pimmit Hills, according to a map sent to Tysons Reporter by a member of the citizens association.

Major Concerns From Residents

PHCA Spokesperson Ashley Nellis told Tysons Reporter she worries that the 24-inch-thick and high-pressure pipeline will pose a risk to the safety of local families and cause “massive” disruptions to the area and the environment on several fronts.

The major concerns brought up by Nellis and other residents throughout Pimmit Hills include disturbances to the neighborhood during construction and long-term safety standards.

“This is a very dangerous proposition that has not gone well in other communities,” she said, citing an explosion that occurred in a town in Pennsylvania in 2018.

“We are the only residential neighborhood impacted by a high-pressure transmission pipeline that also happens to be routed along a known flood plain and next to the beginning of Pimmit Run Stream,” Robert Heilen, the president of the PHCA, said in a letter to VDOT.

Brian Edwards, the Washington Gas spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter that the pipeline will not negatively impact the regional flood plain.

After being pressed about community concerns, Washington Gas remains steadfast in its certainty that the pipeline meets, if not exceeds, safety standards according to Edwards, who added that the pipe is built with strong material so there is little possibility of a rupture.

“It is being designed at a very high standard so if someone were to even hit the line with a backhoe it would withstand the damage,” Edwards said.

Due to the nature of the project, VDOT does not require an environmental impact report for the project, according to Edwards.

The Community Fights Back

Politicians including Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust and State Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd) and Del. Marcus Simon (D-53rd) are also backing the opposition efforts.

Along with its normal monthly meetings, the citizens association began hosting weekly pipeline committee meetings to discuss changes and efforts to halt the project.

As of today (March 16), more than 570 people have signed a Change.org petition to reroute the pipeline.

Currently, a community member is in the midst of filing a petition of appeal against the VDOT approval, aiming to halt the pipeline progress.

Though independently organized, PHCA set up a GoFundMe page to fund the lawsuit. So far, people have donated over $9,500 in two months. “It shows how adamantly the community is against this issue,” Nellis, the PHCA spokesperson, said.

The private community member is now in search of new representation after the original law firm dropped the case, Heilen added.

Edwards said he was not in a position to give a statement from Washington Gas.

Project Alternatives

Project leaders within the community originally hoped that VDOT and Washington Gas would install the new pipeline along Route 7 — an option that Washington Gas said would be more intrusive and time-consuming.

As it stands, the line construction in the Pimmit Hills neighborhood would affect roughly 7,000 commuters daily over the course of three years, according to Edwards. But, if the pipeline would instead be installed along Route 7, he said it would take six years — double the amount of time — and affect roughly 41,000 commuters daily.

For community members though, perks of moving the line to Route 7 include an increased sense of security for their families and easement of construction noise.

Edwards said that Washington Gas plans to proceed with construction block-by-block in order to lessen the burden on homeowners.

Next Steps

As community members continue to fight pipeline installation, Washington Gas is proceeding with preparation for the project.

Edwards wouldn’t give an estimated project start time but told Tysons Reporter that Washington Gas hopes the project will be completed by 2023.

Heilen said he was told that construction was supposed to begin in early April, but said he hasn’t received any updated information.

“Most of the route is already marked,” Heilen said. “I expect that once they feel the weather is stable, they will start digging.”

Photos courtesy Devin Buries

County officials celebrated the completion of the Jones Branch Connector today, calling it a vital new link to improve connectivity in Tysons.

The Virginia Department of Transporation (VDOT) and Fairfax County officials held a ribbon-cutting this morning (March 5) at the corner of Scotts Crossing Road and Capitol One Drive in Tysons.

The new half-mile roadway, called Scotts Crossing Road, runs between Jones Branch Drive and Route 123 over the Beltway and includes two lanes of traffic, a bicycle lane and an illuminated sidewalk for pedestrians in each direction, according to a VDOT press release.

“A wide, raised median is also reserved to accommodate future transit,” the press release said.

Though the $60 million price tag for such a short stretch of the road may seem high, Bill Cutler, the district construction engineer for VDOT, said that “it speaks to the complexity of the project.”

In the future, if Fairfax County decides that the overpass no longer makes sense for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, it is designed in such a way that construction crews will be able to strip the concrete and repurpose the project, for example, to become a trolley way, Cutler said.

For now though, “the project is expected to relieve traffic along Route 123, at the Route 123/I-495 interchange and other locations,” the press release said, adding that more than 32,000 vehicles are expected to use Scotts Crossing Road per day by 2040.

Speakers and guests at this morning’s ceremony included Dalia Palchik and Jeff McKay from the Board of Supervisors.

“This is part of our economic success plan,” Palchik, who represents the Providence District, said. “We know that if we don’t have connectivity [and] mobility, it will make things harder and harder for people to get around enjoy coming and going to work.”

Following up on Palchik’s statement, Cutler said that this new connection will allow people using different modes of transportation to more easily move between the communities and neighborhoods in Tysons.

The project, which was approved by the county in 2010, is the first one to be completed from the Tysons Comprehensive Plan Amendment, according to the press release.

Work on the project started in 2017, and in late 2018, one traffic lane opened in each direction. By January, all four travel lanes were open.

“Final detail work” is expected this month, but shouldn’t impact traffic, according to the press release.

“The completion of the Jones Branch Connector marks a milestone in our collaborative efforts to improve our transportation network to support the growth of Tysons,” McKay said. “This project helps us move more people more efficiently and continues to build upon a grid of streets that encourages the use of multi-modal transportation alternatives.”

We’re in #Tysons with our partners @fairfaxcounty @tysonspartners  @vaexpresslanes to celebrate the Jones Branch Connector, a crucial new link for those traveling around Tysons 🚇🏃🚲🚗! Learn more: https://t.co/JEiy2ZYF79 pic.twitter.com/9AhlAQDEIH

— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 5, 2020

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors is supporting an application for federal funding to pay for a rehabilitation project along the GW Parkway.

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust proposed the board matter, which supports an application for funding from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program.

The funding would support the parkway’s North Section Rehabilitation Program, which aims to reconstruct nearly 8 miles of the GW Parkway from Spout Run Parkway to I-495.

“The proposed project addresses serious deterioration of the parkway and implements significant safety improvements,” the board matter says.

If the funding is approved, the board matter says the National Park Service (NPS) plans to:

• repave the road
• repair stormwater management systems and walls
• rehabilitate two historic, scenic overlooks
• replace guardrails
• construct new curbs
• build emergency turnarounds along the north end

The project will also include work on a northern section, addressing a $1.7 billion maintenance backlog that includes $395 million for the parkway, the board matter says.

More than 33 million vehicles per year travel on the GW Parkway, according to Fairfax County. Last year, emergency work had to fix the cause of a sizable sinkhole on the GW Parkway, disrupting traffic for months in the area.

Foust noted that the project is meant to address safety and longevity issues for the parkway.

The Board of Supervisors voted to approve sending a letter of support for NPS’s application for the federal funding.

Map via Google Maps