VDOT | FFXnow

VDOT proposes $8.7M project to address ‘unsafe’ portion of Popes Head Road

Published August 6, 2026 at 3:45PM

A car passes by the intersection of Popes Head Road (Route 654) and Quiet Brook Road (Route 7447) on a recent August afternoon. (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A small portion of Popes Head Road could undergo $8.7 million worth of construction in an effort to improve safety on the busy secondary road near the Fairfax County Parkway, in the Fairfax Station area.

The Virginia Department of Transportation project, presented during a public information meeting July 28, proposes straightening an “S” curve on Popes Head Road (Route 654), between Quiet Brook Road (Route 7447) and Revercomb Court. VDOT officials also propose upgrading drainage and adding stormwater management systems within the project parameters, which extend for a fifth of a mile.

News

New campaign aims to lift up Richmond Highway businesses ahead of corridor’s transformation

By Tadi Abedje

Published August 5, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated August 7, 2026 at 4:35PM

Richmond Highway (staff photo by James Jarvis)

The Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation will be starting a campaign as part of its Faces of ONE project to help businesses along the Richmond Highway corridor gain traction before and during the corridor’s major transportation work and redevelopment.

It’s an extension of a public art campaign where 10 public sculptures were placed along the Richmond Highway corridor, along with some murals and different things to enhance the identity and placemaking of the area.

News

UPDATED: Dulles Toll Road bridge work in Tysons to require lane split

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 24, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated June 25, 2026 at 12:41PM

Traffic exiting Tysons into McLean on Route 123 under the eastbound Dulles Toll Road bridge, which is under rehabilitation (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Update — The Virginia Department of Transportation announced on Thursday, June 25 that the Dulles Toll Road lane split will be postponed until after the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

“We will send out an update once everything is confirmed,” a VDOT spokesperson told FFXnow.

News

New trail along I-495 in McLean to open this week with community fun run

By Scott McCaffrey

Published June 22, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated June 24, 2026 at 10:11AM

New shared-use path along I-495 in McLean (courtesy VDOT)

A community celebration is set for this coming Saturday, June 27 to mark the opening of a new shared-use bicycle and pedestrian trail adjacent to the Capital Beltway (I-495) in McLean.

A joint effort of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Transurban, the trail is one of the final multimodal features of the 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project, which extended the interstate’s toll lanes past the GW Parkway in McLean and updated seven bridges.

News

Safety initiative would add stop signs at Fairfax County W&OD Trail crossings

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 12, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated June 14, 2026 at 7:18PM

A cyclist crosses Cedar Lane on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Dunn Loring (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Local and state transportation planners hope to provide some additional protection to users of the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail with a new safety initiative.

If approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the initiative will add high-visibility stop signs at nine trail intersections in Fairfax County, according to NOVA Parks, which owns the 45-mile-long regional park and is supporting the proposal.

News

UPDATED: Driver killed in two-vehicle crash outside Chantilly Bible Church

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 2, 2026 at 10:30AM | Updated June 2, 2026 at 6:56PM

Pleasant Valley Road was closed at Cub Run Road in Chantilly on June 2, 2026 for a two-vehicle crash (via Google Maps)

A man hospitalized this morning (Tuesday) following a two-vehicle crash that occurred outside Chantilly Bible Church has now died, the Fairfax County Police Department announced.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department was dispatched to Pleasant Valley Road at Cub Run Road for the crash at around 8:38 a.m., according to scanner traffic.

News

Fairfax City may tweak planned pathway impacted by cancellation of George Snyder Trail

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published May 29, 2026 at 9:15AM

Existing Wilcoxon Trail head at Fairfax Blvd in Fairfax City (via Google Maps)

Fairfax City is eyeing a potential solution to fix a trail project that was approved and fully funded while minimizing financial penalties as a result of the city council canceling a different planned extension earlier this year.

During a council work session on Tuesday (May 26), staff proposed that the project — previously called the George Snyder Trail Extension — be renamed the Wilcoxon Trail Extension, and add on-street paths along Draper Drive, instead of connecting to existing trails by cutting through parkland.

News

Popes Head Road closes at Fairfax County Parkway, as new triple roundabouts start to open

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 27, 2026 at 11:45AM | Updated May 29, 2026 at 8:16PM

Construction workers on the Popes Head Road bridge deck over Fairfax County Parkway (via VDOT)

Update — The Virginia Department of Transportation released more details about the partial interchange opening and how it will affect traffic patterns in the coming months on Friday, May 29.

Earlier: Fairfax County Parkway will be inaccessible from Popes Head Road for the next week, as the Virginia Department of Transportation prepares to start opening the reconfigured interchange in Fairfax Station.

News

Lane removal, pedestrian refuges proposed to make Herndon High School road safer

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 15, 2026 at 1:45PM

Bennett Street outside Herndon High School (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Town of Herndon is considering a number of changes to Bennett Street intended to make walking and cycling around the local high school safer.

Mike Shindledecker, the town’s transportation engineer, unveiled a preferred concept at a community meeting in the Herndon High School cafeteria on Wednesday (May 13) that would narrow the four-lane road to one travel lane in each direction.

News

VDOT to present plan tomorrow for widening Route 7 in Tysons

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 28, 2026 at 8:30AM

Traffic on eastbound Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in Tysons south of Route 123 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

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).