Virginia to mark completion of Gainesville Interchange Project

The construction project that has spelled headache for commuters for the past four years is complete.

Virginia Transportations Secretary Aubrey Lane will visit Gainesville tomorrow morning to note the completion of the Gainesville Interchange project.

And while orange cones dot the roadway here as crews put the finishing touches on the interchange, it’s important to point out that this $230 million project includes four new bridges, and it separates the traffic on U.S. 29 north and south from Linton Hall and Gallerher roads, and a railroad crossing.

So what we have now in Gainesville, traffic on U.S. 29 flows underneath Linton Hall and Gallerher roads, and it flows over a railroad crossing.

Before the interchange was built, that railroad crossing was the site of multiple train vs. car accidents that took hours to investigate, and caused major traffic delays in the area prior to construction of this interchange.

This interchange is located just south of Interstate 66, so this is a very busy and congested area. With the completion of this $230 million project, traffic officials hope traffic will flow a bit better here in Gainesville.

Lane is expected to join several other officials from Prince William County at 10 a.m. at the Virginia Gateway Shopping Center for a ribbon cutting to herald the completion on of the project. The Gainesville Interchange Project is considered one of the largest highway construction project in the state.

In addition to the four new bridges, a five-foot sidewalk, and 10-foot walking path were also built as part of the project. Ten retaining walls and new highway lighting was added as part of the project.

The new Gainesville interchange is the last in a series of improvements that date back to the early 2000s. That’s when a portion of I-66 was widened from U.S. 29 to Sudley Road and a new interchange at U.S. 29 and I-66 was built.

A total of 87,000 vehicles is expected to pass through the interchange by 2035, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.