Design work has been underway for about a year now on plans to widen the portion of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) that runs through central Tysons.
The Virginia Department of Transportation will present its initial concept for widening the road between Route 123 (Chain Bridge Road) and the Capital Beltway (I-495) to the community for the first time at a virtual public information meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday).
As amended by the Board of Supervisors in July 2023, Fairfax County’s comprehensive plan for Tysons envisions that segment of Leesburg Pike as a boulevard with six travel lanes and a guideway in the median reserved for bus rapid transit (BRT) service.
To accommodate the future bus service while preserving three travel lanes in each direction, the road would need to be widened by the equivalent of two lanes. The county’s guidelines also call for wider streetscapes that can comfortably fit both landscaping, including street trees, and sidewalks and other pedestrian amenities.
According to VDOT’s project page, improvements planned as part of the Route 7 widening include:
- Replacing the service roads in select locations with shared-use paths.
- Adding turn lanes on Route 7 from Route 123 to International Drive/Gallows Road.
- Replacing/upgrading traffic signals along the corridor as needed.
- Improving vehicle safety and reducing congestion with access management.
- Installing high-visibility crosswalks, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps, and Accessible Pedestrian Signals at numerous intersections and ramps throughout the corridor.
“This project aims to improve safety, operations, and bicyclist/pedestrian mobility, as well as facilitate future BRT construction in the corridor,” VDOT said, noting that the affected section of Route 7 sees an average of 76,000 vehicles a day.
After tomorrow’s public meeting, VDOT will accept feedback on the project via an online comment form, emails and letters through May 14.
Regional planners with the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) have been studying the possibility of a Route 7 BRT that would provide speedier service in the corridor from Tysons to the Mark Center in Alexandria for years now. The study is currently focused on the final segment from Seven Corners to Alexandria.
With its approval of the Tysons Comprehensive Plan amendment in 2023, the Board of Supervisors solidified an expected route for the BRT system through Tysons that would travel from the Spring Hill Metro station and south along International Drive before turning onto Route 7 at Fletcher Street. The segment would continue on Route 7 to the West Falls Church Metro station area.
While the service would mostly use dedicated lanes, buses would need to enter mixed traffic or Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes — which can be used by cars making a turn — around both the Spring Hill and West Falls Church Metro stations.
VDOT hasn’t finalized a cost estimate for the Route 7 widening between Route 123 and I-495 yet, but Fairfax County secured approximately $9.8 million for design work in 2022. The money comes from a combination of tax revenue generated by the special Tysons Transportation Service District and road funds supported by fees paid by developers.
The state is also expected to contribute funding. The Fairfax County Department of Transportation estimates that the widening project will cost a total of $78.5 million, according to a presentation delivered to the transportation service district’s advisory board in February.
VDOT currently anticipates presenting a final design for a public hearing next spring, with right-of-way acquisitions potentially starting in winter 2029 to 2030. Construction on the widening isn’t expected to begin until spring 2032.
A separate project to widen the Pimmit Hills section of Route 7 from I-495 to I-66 is also pending.
