Fairfax County leaders remain uneasy about the Virginia Department of Transportation’s proposed I-495 Southside Express Lanes project and the possible impact of widening the highway on residents of neighboring communities.
The Board of Supervisors agreed to send a five-page letter to Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III on Tuesday (June 24) detailing its concerns.
The unanimous vote to send the letter to Richmond came after VDOT shared plans to add two toll lanes on the Capital Beltway from the I-95/I-395 interchange in Springfield to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Alexandria at a series of community meetings earlier in June.
“There were a number of issues that came up” during that outreach process, according to Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk.
Lusk joined with Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck and Board Chairman Jeff McKay to propose the letter.
“Our key concerns include traffic congestion at major interchanges, potential impacts to the local transportation network, integration of transit options, continuity and safety of bicycle and pedestrian trail connections and potential environmental impacts,” the supervisors said. “These issues have significant implications for both the local community and the broader region.”
VDOT began studying the potential of adding 11 miles of express lanes along the south side of I-495 in 2022. It is the only stretch of I-495 in Virginia without toll lanes.
VDOT’s preferred-alternative design calls for:
- 2 buffer-separated express lanes in each direction on I-495
- New bus service in the corridor
- Bike/pedestrian improvements
- Preservation of space on the Wilson Bridge for future rail transit
Local leaders have expressed skepticism about the project almost from the beginning, with Alexandria City officials and regional leaders serving on the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board sharing Fairfax County’s worries.
In its letter to Miller, the Board of Supervisors urges VDOT to conduct more analysis of the project’s potential impacts on local traffic and the environment.
“The Board remains concerned that the preferred alternative requires additional analysis to understand its full implications. According to the timeline provided by VDOT, the impacts to traffic on local streets, air quality and noise will not be available prior to the decision from the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB). These analyses are essential for making an informed decision and should be included before any action is taken by the CTB.”
Supervisors also noted that VDOT’s design doesn’t include some pedestrian and bicycle facilities envisioned by Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Plan, with no trail proposed along the eastbound lanes and no bridge provided to connect Oakwood Road in Rose Hill to Vine Street in Alexandria.
“While we understand the right-of-way constraints along the southern edge of the Beltway, the current proposal significantly reduces accessibility for Fairfax County residents by placing key trail segments further away from population centers on the southern side,” the letter says.
According to the letter, the board also remains concerned that VDOT hasn’t adequately evaluated “long-term rail transit options, particularly Metrorail, as a viable alternative to express lanes,” especially given that the Woodrow Wilson Bridge’s median was intended to accommodate future train service.
Though Fairfax leaders may be unhappy with some specifics — or lack of specifics — in VDOT’s plan, they seem in agreement that doing nothing would be the worst decision to make.
“What’s unacceptable is the status quo. Something must be done,” McKay said, warning of “endless gridlock” on roadways including Richmond Highway, Telegraph Road, Huntington Avenue and Van Dorn Street.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the board’s lone Republican, agreed with McKay’s assessment.
“Doing nothing is not an option,” Herrity said. “We need to get it done.”
During the June 24 discussion, Lusk brought up another major concern: Maryland transportation officials have seemed noncommittal in moving forward with toll lanes on their side of the Potomac River — an issue that didn’t stop VDOT from proceeding with its I-495 Northern Extension toll lanes project.
Absent Maryland’s cooperation, “it does not make sense” to move forward with the Southside project, he said.
“What’s Maryland doing on their side? We’ve got to really figure [that] out,” Lusk said.
More funds coming to Route 1 ‘BRT’ Project
Fairfax County’s plan to finance a nearly billion-dollar bus rapid transit (BRT) network along Richmond Highway just received another financial boost.
The CTB has approved a Northern Virginia Transportation Commission request for an additional $10 million to fund the project.
It will be the second installment in a $20 million promise to help the county finance the planned BRT system.
The funding was part of a $39.5 million package of 15 Northern Virginia projects approved by the CTB board. Funding comes through the Commuter Choice program, which uses toll revenue from the I-395/I-95 Express Lanes to support transit and transportation improvements.
This package also includes 12 bus service enhancements for Arlington Transit, DASH, Fairfax Connector, Metrobus and OmniRide; one new Metrobus route; and improvements to Virginia Railway Express’ Leeland Road Station.
The Richmond Highway BRT line, to be known as The One, is expected to include nine stations spread across seven miles in median lanes along Route 1 between the Huntington Metro station and Fort Belvoir.
The current estimated cost for the project is $980 million. Funding is coming from a variety of local, regional, state and federal sources.
