Fairfax County officials have outlined a long-term improvement plan for Gallows Road that they hope will support a more harmonious relationship between drivers and pedestrians.
Presented at community meetings on July 15 and 17, the “preferred alternatives” in the Gallows Road multimodal transportation study aim to modernize the corridor due to an increasing presence of active transportation — those who walk, jog and bike.
But the plan itself won’t solely accommodate the wants of non-drivers, transportation planner Tim Kutz said.
“We don’t want to just propose all these improvements to active transportation and transit while slowing down the road for drivers and people who actually want to get from A to B,” Kutz said. “It’s a balancing act.”
Based on months of study and community feedback, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation is settling on its final recommendations for redesigning the 7-mile roadway, which has been split into three different segments:
The northern segment
In the northern segment, which runs from Boone Blvd in Tysons to I-66 in Dunn Loring, a grass median would replace the current two-way left turn lane. A one-way left turn lane would be installed.
On-road bicycle lanes would be removed under the preferred alternative, replaced by a 2-way cycle track located next to the road.
The middle segment
One portion of the middle segment from I-66 to Gatehouse Road would eliminate one lane in the aggregate. Two other lanes, however, would be replaced with business access and transit (BAT) lanes for buses and turning vehicles.
The other part of the middle segment, running from Gatehouse Road to I-495, would eliminate specific right turn lanes, creating space for a 2-way cycle track off of the roadway.
The southern segment
The southern segment, running from I-495 to Columbia Pike and Little River Turnpike in Annandale, would see multiple adjustments under the plan, which separates that segment into six smaller portions. Most parts of the road would have either two lanes traveling in each direction or one lane in each direction with a two-way turn lane in the middle.
As part of the plan, county officials are also weighing the installation of a pedestrian bridge over I-495, with locations near Route 50 (Lee Highway) and Route 29 (Arlington Blvd) being considered.
“The goal of the study is to balance different modes to help all users travel along the corridor and also facilitate travel along the local roads parallel to Gallows Road,” transportation planner Nanditha Paradkar said.
An additional survey on the proposed changes will be distributed in the coming weeks, with a final report scheduled to come later this fall. Work to secure funding will begin soon after.
The project will be implemented little by little, with the county targeting 2045 to complete the whole slate of improvements.
“This would be built over different stages, different years,” FCDOT Planning Section Chief Mike Garcia said. “You’re not going to see all this come at once … There is not the financial ability to do that.”
