Wider U.S. 1 Tops $65 Million

TRIANGLE, Va. — Patches of unpaved road and orange traffic barrels remain, but the ribbon has been cut heralding the official opening of a widened U.S. 1 in Triangle.

County officials and residents gathered on the corner of U.S. 1 and Joplin Road June 6 to celebrate the improved roadway.

The $65.8 million project to widen the heavily used stretch of road at the entrance of Quantico Marine Corps Base, and between Joplin and Brady’s Hill roads from four to six lanes, was approved by voters in 2006 as part of a bond referendum.

The project’s initial $47 million cost ballooned when crews ran into utility relocation issues along the corridor. Higher costs can also be attributed to the nearly $50 million spent on right-of-way acquisition, officials said.

The widening brought the demolition of fast food restaurants, gas stations, and convenience stores that once lined U.S. 1 in the area. Officials hope the new street improvements and new sidewalks will make the area into a more pedestrian-friendly village nestled outside the National Museum of the Marine Corps – a big tourism draw for Prince William County and the region.

The first phase of that village-like development was approved by county leaders earlier this year, when in March the Prince William County Board of Supervisors approved a new zoning a three-acre development that is slated to include street-level retail spaces, as well as office space and a daycare center.

The wider U.S. 1 will improve traffic flow in the area, as well as address prior flooding problems in the area, according to a Prince William County press release.

Drivers can expect to see the final paved lane configuration markings and orange barrels removed by June 29.