February 9, 2024

Since taking office, improving the transportation network for our residents has been a priority of mine. We have over $600 million in transportation projects moving forward in the Springfield District to reduce congestion, improve safety and add pedestrian and bike facilities. As construction is beginning, underway and being completed I wanted to give you an update on the major projects. Unfortunately, construction (including utility relocation) always takes longer and causes more tree loss and congestion than we want. We are committed to working with residents and VDOT to minimize the impacts of construction and will be publishing and attending the “Pardon our Dust” meetings VDOT will be holding as these projects get underway. 

Some of the important projects that currently are or soon will be underway:

• Route 29 between Union Mill Road and Buckley’s Gate Drive
• Route 28 between Bull Run and Route 29
• Rolling Road between Viola Street and Old Keene Mill Road
• Improving the Fairfax County Parkway between 29 and 123 and a New Interchange at Popes
• Popes Head Road Interchange (Three Phases)
• Shirley Gate Road Extension
• Burke Road Realignment
• Lee Chapel Road Widening
• Other

Route 29 between Union Mill Road and Buckley’s Gate Drive

Construction is underway on this project that will widen the last section of four-lane Route 29 between I-66 and the City of Fairfax to six lanes. The project will improve capacity along this 1.5-mile corridor which includes work to complete a continuous 10’ wide shared use path on both sides of the road as well as modifications to four intersections and drainage improvements throughout. Construction should be complete in Spring 2026. This spring, there will be likely a full closure and detour of the road in order to install an underground culvert. We will provide more information as this gets closer. For more information, visit VDOT’s project webpage here.

Route 28 between Bull Run and Route 29

The project to widen Route 28 between the Prince William County Line and Route 29 is largely completed. The entire length will be six lanes but has been graded to accommodate any future expansion of the road. We are working with residents directly fronting this section of Route 28 to get their driveway aprons widened so they can more safely access their residences. I am encouraging Prince William to get its piece of Route 28 widening completed, a project that will reduce cut through traffic in Clifton and the Occoquan watershed.

Rolling Road between Viola Street and Old Keene Mill Road

The 1.3 mile stretch of Rolling Road from Viola Street to Old Keene Mill Road has been planned to be widened several times over the last 25+ years, each time having the funding pulled before construction. This project is finally moving forward, although much slower than we had hoped. Fortunately, we were able to split the project into two phases:

Phase 1 (Complete): Construction of an additional turn lane from northbound Rolling Road to westbound Old Keene Mill Road and the addition of a dedicated right turn lane from northbound Rolling Road to eastbound Old Keene Mill Road. The signal was upgraded and the alignment of the intersection improved. This is now working to ease some of the congestion at the Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill light. We continue to work on timing issues for the signals on Rolling Road.

Phase 2: Widening Rolling Road from 2 to 4 lanes along the corridor, including a grass median in sections, adding pedestrian and bike facilities, a new traffic signal at Greeley Boulevard, and construction of noise barriers. The pedestrian and bicycle facilities include an 8' asphalt path on the west side and a 5' concrete sidewalk on the east side.  Initially VDOT and FCDOT had planned for the trail to be 10’ wide and sidewalk 6’ wide; however, I pushed for these to be decreased in width to minimize the impact to residents’ properties, since many homes are already extremely close to the roadway. Land acquisition is complete and utility relocation is ongoing.

Construction should start by the end of the year and take two years to complete. When the contractor is selected and on board later this year, a more detailed construction timeline will be available that includes milestones and will be shared at a “Pardon our Dust” meeting.

View the presentation from the public hearing in 2018 to see on the different road sections and improvements for each; visit the VDOT project website for more information.

Improving the Fairfax County Parkway between 29 and 123 and a New Interchange at Popes Head Road (Three Phases)

After hosting a Fairfax County Parkway Visioning Town Hall, I have pushed for improvements to this road which is one of Fairfax County’s ‘main streets.’ This much needed project will widen the road from four to six lanes between Route 29 and Route 123 and construct a grade-separated interchange at Popes Head Road. It has been split into three phases and the first phase of the project will construct an interchange with Popes Head Road that allows for a future tie in with the planned extension of Shirley Gate Road from Braddock Road to the Parkway that will include access to Patriot Park.

The second and third phases entail the actual widening of the road from Route 29 to Nomes Court (phase two) and from Nomes Court to 123 (phase three) with the bulk of the work taking place in the median and the addition of trail where needed. (Phases are discussed in more detail below.)

The first public information meeting for this project was held in December 2017 followed by numerous additional public meetings and meetings with individual communities to discuss their specific impacts and concerns. The design public hearing was held in December 2019.

Popes Head Road Interchange (Phase One)

As the first phase of the overall project discussed above, a full grade separated interchange at the Parkway’s intersection with Popes Head Road is being constructed. VDOT considered numerous innovative designs, including those provided by the community and narrowed the alternatives down based on community feedback and overall cost while working to minimize the impact on residents’ properties and access to the roadways. This design has come a long way from the original VDOT design which included traffic signals and was much like the design of the interchange further north at the Fair Lakes Parkway intersection. Citizen input has been integral to this project’s design to keep a parkway feel to this section of the road.

This intersection experiences extensive congestion during both the AM and PM rushes and has a very high crash rate. These improvements will go a long way to improve congestion and safety. Unfortunately, it will come with tree loss; if you have recently driven through the area you will see that clearing for construction is underway. According to VDOT, the project should be complete in late 2026.

A ‘Pardon our Dust’ meeting is set for February 28^th at 7 pm at VDOT headquarters (4975 Alliance Drive in Fairfax).

Fairfax County Parkway Widening: Route 29 to Route 123 (Phase Two and Three)

The planned widening of the section of the Parkway between Route 29 and 123 will increase the number of lanes from four to six and relieve congestion and improve safety and traffic flow while maintaining bicyclist and pedestrian accessibility and mobility. Plans initially showed the Burke Centre Parkway intersection as right-in, right-out at the Parkway but much like the Popes Head Interchange design, due to citizens’ advocacy and innovative ideas, left turns will be permitted from the southbound lanes of the Parkway to Burke Centre Parkway.

Phase 1: North Section Four-mile section from Route 29 to Nomes Court

Work should start later this year; completion TBD

Phase 2: South Section two-mile section from Nomes Court to Route 123

The contract should be awarded late spring; construction should start mid-2025

Shirley Gate Road Extension

Since 1991, an extension of Shirley Gate Road from its current termination at Braddock Road to the Fairfax County Parkway has been identified on the County’s Comprehensive Plan for Transportation. This project consists of a 4-lane divided roadway with pedestrian and bicycle facilities that will run roughly from Braddock Road down Mendell Street, through parkland (with careful consideration towards homes on Meath Ct.) down to connect with the Parkway via a new roundabout. This project rates very high in congestion relief, especially for the Braddock Road and 123 intersection. The project is mostly funded and in design.  Land acquisition is underway with construction starting in 2026.

Burke Road Realignment

Land acquisition is wrapping up on a project that will eliminate the hazardous curve on Burke Road between Aplomado Drive and Parakeet Drive. Planned work includes raising the road to improve safety and minimize road flooding and replacing the storm drainage facilities in the vicinity of the curve to improve water flow underneath the road. Included in the project is a sidewalk on the north side of the road and an asphalt, multi-use path on the south and the existing bike lanes will be extended from their current termination at Meadow Brook Drive to Mill Cove Lane. Land acquisition is underway and has been the primary reason behind the delay in the construction of this project. A public hearing regarding the final three parcels (of thirteen total) needed will be held this May; utility relocation will begin once acquisition is complete. Once the land acquisition and utility relocation are finished, construction will start and take a little over a year to complete.

In response to citizen concerns about traffic and speeding brought up at the 2017 public meeting, FCDOT staff conducted a speeding and safety review along the corridor that included warrant studies for traffic signals and stops signs at the intersections with Old Burke Lake Road, Aplomado Drive, and Ridge Ford Drive. Neither signal nor stop sign warrants were met at any of the intersections due to low traffic volumes and crash frequency. The meeting presentation available on the FCDOT project page offers additional information on the traffic studies and recommendations.

Lee Chapel Road Improvement Project between Route 123 and the Fairfax County Parkway

In response to the surrounding community’s request after a crash last year took the lives of young students, I asked my colleagues on the Board to support moving funding from another transportation project to a project for Lee Chapel Road that will widen, straighten, and take the hills out of the section that runs between 123 and the Fairfax County Parkway. The project goal is to bring the road up to current safety standards and remove the hills to get rid of the incentive to speed and/or “catch air” on them. The existing road does not meet current safety standards for the existing posted speed limit in the area of the two hills. Removing the hills will bring the roadway into compliance with current design and safety standards for the posted speed limit through that section of the road. The wider shoulders and 'clear zone' (area between the edge of a travel lane and trees or other obstructions), will provide a larger area for drivers to recover and reduce severity of crashes. Before leaving office last year, State Senator George Barker secured the remaining funding needed for this project to move forward. Survey work is underway and we anticipate the next project update should be in the next 6 months where the County and VDOT will share preliminary plans for the road improvement with another opportunity for community input.

Many smaller interim measures before the road project is constructed have been considered and undertaken or will be undertaken—rumble strips, widened shoulders, reflectors in the center lines, intermediate clearing along the roadside, shoulder wedge treatment in sections, and others. VDOT and FCDOT are working to secure funding for a permanent “Posted Speed/ Your Speed” radar sign as well. Many citizens suggested installing speed humps on the approaches to the hills that would force speeding cars to slow down (and cost significantly less); however, the state owns the road and only allows them on residentially-zoned roads with low traffic volumes. I did make a plea for these with leadership at VDOT’s NOVA District last year but they could not make this exception.

2024 Teen Job Fair Series Registration is Open (March 2 and 9)

I am excited to announce that free registration for my 8^th annual Teen Job and Opportunity Fairs is now open for students and businesses. My office will be hosting the fairs with cosponsors Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), School Board Member Sandy Anderson, Fairfax County Times Newspaper, DFS Public Assistance and Employment Services Division as well as local businesses and chambers of commerce. In March, I will be hosting fairs at West Springfield High School and Chantilly High School.

Chantilly High School

Saturday, March 2^nd

11 am to 1:30 pm

(Final workshops ending at 1:30pm)

West Springfield High School

Saturday, March 9^th

11 am to 1:30 pm

(Final workshops ending at 1:30pm)

These fairs focus on students and young job seekers looking for a variety of employment opportunities; full time, after-school, seasonal positions, internship opportunities, and volunteer positions. Students of all ages are encouraged to attend, but most opportunities will be geared toward students ages 16-18. The fairs have provided thousands of teenagers the opportunity to get in front of employers and for our employers to find talented Fairfax County students to fill their positions. Last year over 1,500 students and around 100 businesses participated.

Students can register here. Student registration is free and open to all teens in Fairfax County looking for employment, volunteer opportunities, or tips on building their resume.

Businesses can register here. Business registration is also free and open to any organization providing positions for students. Free table space and a complimentary table covering will be provided to registered businesses and organizations to advertise their available positions. Participating businesses and organizations must provide positions for students at the fair; soliciting without offering positions is not permitted.

We will also host resume and career building workshops during the fairs with our Chamber of Commerce partners. Students of any experience level are encouraged to attend these workshops.

For more information on the fairs, please visit the Teen Job Fair Series webpage or email my office at springfieldbos@fairfaxcounty.gov. I look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you to my cosponsors who make these fairs possible!

Fairfax County Public Schools

Fairfax County Times Newspaper

School Board Member Sandy Anderson

DFS Public Assistance and Employment Services Division

Chantilly HS STEM Academy

Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce

South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce

Mt. Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce

Early Voting for the Presidential Primaries

In-person early voting for the March 5th presidential primary election in Virginia is underway. Any registered voter can participate in one of the two primaries, either the Democrat or the Republican, but not both. There have been numerous changes in the field of candidates since the ballot was prepared, and the ballot will contain the names of candidates who qualified for the ballot but have since dropped out of the race. Additional early voting satellite locations will open Saturday February 24^th. For additional details on early voting, please visit: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/early-voting

Other News and Information

• New Outdoor Dining Regulations Approved
• ECHO and Target Circle Donation Partnership
• Land Development Services Staff Available In-Person
• Car Seat Saturday (Feb 10^th)
• Current Popular Scams Information Session (Feb 21^st)
• The Road Ducks’ and Earp’s Ordinary’s “Rockin’ the Battle” Fundraiser (Mar 3rd)

New Outdoor Dining Regulations Approved

Great news for restaurants and businesses – the Board of Supervisors, at our February 6^th meeting, approved an amendment that makes outdoor dining experiences permanent. The drive for outdoor dining began during the pandemic to support many of our food and beverage establishments as a creative way for people to safely get together. Now, we see that this dining experience is often preferred and creates an experience that maximizes the vibrancy of commercial areas.

A special thanks to our Zoning and Land Development Services staff for their diligent work on this. Solutions like this help Fairfax County provide the infrastructure for economic development and expand our tax base. For more details, see here.

ECHO and Target Circle Donation Partnership

ECHO has been selected as a Northern Virginia Target Circle Charity until March 31^st! This means you can direct charitable donations while shopping at Target to ECHO via this loyalty program. 

Car Seat Saturday with West Springfield District Station on February 10^th

Come by the West Springfield District Station to get your car seat inspected on Saturday, February 10, 2024, between 10:00AM-1:00PM (6140 Rolling Rd, Springfield, VA)! No appointment needed. Car seats will be inspected on a first come, first served basis. When you arrive, come into the lobby and you will be given further instructions. 

Be sure to install the child safety seat yourself so the inspection can be performed. The seat will be properly re-installed if necessary, and you will learn how to install the seat properly in the future. Any questions please reach out to MPO Tony Capizzi at 703-277-2363 or Anthony.capizzi@fairfaxcounty.gov .

They also have car seat inspections, by appointment, every Tuesday from 5:00PM-8:00PM. Please call the station at 703-644-7377 and press zero to make an appointment on those days.  

Current Popular Scams Information Session on February 21^st

Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging is hosting a webinar on current popular scams from 12PM to 1PM on February 21^st. They will look at scams that are targeted at older adults, caregivers, and adults with a disability. Scammers exploit victims though financial and emotional manipulation, so protect your loved ones and yourself by registering here: https://bit.ly/CAREWEB1

The Road Ducks and Earp’s Ordinary Host “Rockin’ the Battle” Fundraiser on March 3^rd

On March 3rd, Earp’s Ordinary on Main Street will open its doors at 11am for the “Rockin’ the Battle” event that will run into the evening. This is a day of music dedicated to raising funds for Jay Powell, the lead singer of the Road Ducks, who is battling cancer.

The Road Ducks are regulars at our Free Concerts in the Park series at Burke Lake Park and were the top draw last summer. I hope you will join me for the incredible lineup playing to support Jay, including the Road Ducks, the Magic Trio, and more. See the flyer for more details on tickets.