Residents of an Oakton neighborhood are mobilizing against Fairfax County’s consideration of using one of their community’s streets as a cut-through between two major roadways.
“There are many concerns,” said Suli Wong, a resident of the English Oaks neighborhood, in May 19 remarks to the Board of Supervisors.
Wong used the board’s public comment period to raise an alarm about the proposal to turn Hibbard Street into a connection between Chain Bridge (Route 123) and Hunter Mill roads. Hibbard currently can be accessed via Chain Bridge Road, but ends in a cul-de-sac before reaching Hunter Mill.
The proposed extension is one option being evaluated by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) as part of its Oakton Congestion and Safety Study.
Nan Coleman, who spoke as a representative for the English Oaks Homeowners Association, said using Hibbard as a connector would let drivers “cut right through our neighborhood” while imperiling historic sites at Oakborough Community Park as well as old-growth trees.
Using Hibbard as a connector road does not appear to be high on FCDOT’s priorities list, but it was presented as one option for addressing traffic safety and congestion issues at a community meeting in March. Residents of the surrounding area would like to see it removed entirely from consideration.
“We recommend keeping any traffic through a commercial area and not a residential area,” Coleman told supervisors.
Wang would be even more impacted than her neighbors. Her home in the cul-de-sac likely would need to be obtained and razed by the local government to allow Hibbard Street to connect to Hunter Mill Road.
She urged the county board not to take such a move “lightly, especially when there are better options.”
Coleman and Wang did suggest an alternative way to reduce congestion at the intersection of Chain Bridge and Hunter Mill: the existing right-turn lane from westbound Chain Bridge onto northbound Hunter Mill could be extended to Hibbard Street, easing a bottleneck to westbound through-traffic lanes on Chain Bridge Road.
Coleman said lengthening the turn lane would be feasible with a reconfiguration of the existing turn lane along with a service road and vegetative space on Chain Bridge.
Supervisors did not react to the comments made at the public comment session, but Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik later told FFXnow said she sides with the residents’ concerns.
“I do not support creating a new cut-through street from Route 123 to Hunter Mill Road through Hibbard Street,” she said, adding:
“The Oakton Congestion and Safety Study was initiated to identify both short- and long-term improvements to enhance safety and mobility in the area. The options currently under review are preliminary and intended to gather community feedback. No decisions have been made, and input from residents will play a critical role in shaping any future recommendations.”
Despite her fears for the future, Coleman said she was thankful that Palchik, her staff and FCDOT staff appeared to be taking the concerns seriously.
FCDOT’s Oakton Congestion and Safety Study is looking at 21 intersections north of I-66. An online community-response survey ran through April 10, with another community meeting expected to be held later in the year.
The study was spurred by the anticipated redevelopment of the former AT&T campus in Oakton into a mixed-use project. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a comprehensive plan amendment in March 2025 to allow housing and retail on the property at 3033 Chain Bridge Road, but a rezoning application
