New car, bicycle and pedestrian improvements could be coming to a major Springfield area interchange, just west of the Springfield Town Center.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking feedback for a study assessing potential operational transit and bicycle/pedestrian improvements on Franconia Road near the interchange with I-395, I-95 and nearby Commerce Street.
According to a VDOT presentation from an initial round of public engagement in 2023, the area had experienced frequent crashes over the last decade, including a three-vehicle crash at Franconia Road and Commerce Street that killed a pedestrian in 2022.
Another pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash near the Franconia and Elder Avenue intersection, just outside the study area, last September.
Potential solutions laid out by VDOT include improvements to intersections, flashing beacons at crossings, shared lane/bicycle lane transitions and more.
“The study is assessing existing traffic and safety conditions in the two corridors, including several congestion issues along Franconia Road related to the I-95 interchange,” the release said.
The study outlines a number of areas with traffic issues, such as northbound I-95 seeing approximately three times more volume than the southbound ramp. VDOT could widen the northbound ramp from one to two lanes to help alleviate the congestion.
The study notes that left turns from Franconia Road to Commerce Street and Loisdale Road are responsible for the most crashes in this area. Future changes could include the addition of a “channelized” free-flow right-turn lane and a prohibition on left turns from Franconia Road.
The study also proposes new dedicated, striped bicycle lanes — or potentially a raised bicycle track — along Commerce Street, replacing a “sharrow” pavement marking and narrowing the other lanes on the street.
Finally, the study considers a series of pedestrian improvements, such as a more pedestrian-friendly crosswalk at the I-495 northbound ramp and reconfiguring crosswalks to provide safer crossings and reduced crossing times.
An online survey asking for resident and traveler feedback will be open through April 17.
The STARS (Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions) study is scheduled for completion sometime this summer.
