According to a Prince William County press release, the county partnered with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles on July 31 to kick off Traffic Awareness Month with a dramatic 54-foot ladder display at the Prince William County Fairgrounds in Manassas.

The ladder, part of the DMV’s award-winning “Speed Has an Impact” campaign, illustrates that the force of a 40 mph crash equals falling 54 feet while a 10 mph impact matches a three-foot drop; it was on view through Aug. 2 during the county fair at 10624 Dumfries Road.

“The Prince William County Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the city of Manassas, hosted the first community meeting on the $93 million Clover Hill-Parkway interchange project at the Washington Manassas Airport July 30,” InsideNoVA reported. Proposed plans include a diverging diamond interchange at Prince William Parkway and Clover Hill Road plus a single-lane roundabout at Clover Hill Road and Godwin Drive, along with an ADA-compliant shared-use path, to reduce congestion, improve safety and support expected growth from Washington Manassas Airport expansion. The project is about 15% designed and roughly 30% funded, with public comments accepted through Aug. 12.

Officials said full funding would lead to roughly five years of remaining work. A nearby Clover Hill Road homeowner described the existing four-way stop as highly dangerous due to frequent speeding and crashes, expressing support for the planned safety upgrades.