Fairfax County has installed new wayfinding signs on the 66 Parallel Trail to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate, but county officials say more improvement is coming on key gaps to improve overall trail connectivity.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation recently installed directional signs at locations throughout Centreville, Fair Lakes, Fair Oaks and Oakton.
“The signs guide users to trail access points, destinations along the 66 Parallel Trail and connections to other trails including the W&OD Trail, the Fairfax County Parkway Trail and the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail,” FCDOT said in a press release.
Opened initially in May 2023, the trail runs along I-66 approximately 20 miles from Centreville to Dunn Loring and provides access to both the Dunn Loring-Merrifield and Vienna Metro stations.
The signage rollout comes as work continues on two remaining sections of the trail, including one of the largest gaps through Random Hills Park, where the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) is building a shared-use path to connect the park’s existing trail network with the 66 Parallel Trail.
FCPA Trails Program Manager Tom McFarland told FFXnow the project is about 70% complete and is expected to be substantially finished by the end of August, depending on the weather.
“The fence surrounding the area will be removed after the area has been deemed safe and the site inspectors gives us the OK,” McFarland said. “The contractor may have some cleanup work to do through September and will also return for landscaping work in the fall, which may require temporary closures while work is taking place.”
While construction is ongoing, McFarland noted that it is not safe for park patrons to be within the fenced-in area.
“Trail users should continue to observe any posted signage or instructions by the construction crew until the trail is safe to use,” he added.
Additionally, a new shared-use path connecting West Ox Road, Post Forest Drive, Random Hills Road and the Monument Drive Transit Center in the Fair Oaks area is now open and substantially complete.
Another major project will create a permanent shared-use path near the Vienna Metro station, replacing the current on-road connection used by cyclists and pedestrians.
Construction is set to begin next year on the project, which is designed to provide access to the station while also providing a safer, off-road link along the corridor.
Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis tells FFXnow that VDOT’s construction team and the selected contractor will meet with the community to answer questions about the project before construction gets underway.
According to Kamilakis, cyclists and pedestrians will continue to have access through the area during construction, though some temporary changes are planned.
“The cycle track along Country Creek Road and Virginia Center Boulevard will be shifted during construction, but will be maintained,” Kamilakis said. “The bike lanes on Sutton Road will also remain, but the striped buffer between the bike lanes and the vehicular lanes will be removed during construction.”
