(Updated 11:30 a.m.) The busy intersection of Idylwood Road and Cedar Lane is about to get a little less scary.
A new traffic light is under construction at the intersection. A manager at the construction site said the concrete base was poured yesterday (Wednesday) and will be putting up the pole once the concrete sets. The manager said he expects construction to be finished sometime within the month.
In the meantime, the sidewalk on the southeast side of Cedar Lane is closed and there are periodic lane closures, reducing traffic along the busy street to one lane.
Neighbors stood at the street corner and watched the construction. One woman who lived nearby said the street is often backed up during rush hour.
“It’s a difficult intersection,” she said. “It’s a bad angle. It can be hard to see around.”
The woman said that construction crews had been in the area in late 2018 installing equipment in the area for the new light. She said while most of the neighbors were happy and excited for the new light, some were concerned that, when combined with the other light north, it could make traffic in the area even worse.
The Jones Branch Connector will be partially open, with one lane of traffic in each direction, starting next Sunday (Dec. 15).
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced the opening today, a slight delay from the earlier opening planned for Dec. 12.
The Jones Branch Connector links Route 123 and I-495, previously only connected at a congested interchange to the south of the project.
When it’s finished, the road will feature two travel lanes and on-street bike lanes in each direction. The road will also have 8-12 foot wide lighted sidewalks and a raised median to accommodate a future Tysons Circulator bus.
Final completion on the project is scheduled for next fall. By 2040, VDOT estimates the road will carry over 32,000 vehicles per day.
Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation
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