Highway an Attempt to Crack Open Rural Crescent, Opponents Say

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The future of travel to Dulles International Airport will be on display Wednesday night in Manassas.

Virginia transportation officials identified the corridor where a new North-South highway could be built. The area identified was once home to the much talked about Tri-County Parkway that was to link Prince William and Loudoun counties.

Residents will get to see the plans at a series of two public information sessions – one beginning tonight at 6:30 at Stonebridge High School, 43100 Hay Road in Ashburn, and one tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. at Four Points Sheraton, 10800 Vandor Lane in Manassas.

Officials deemed the 45-mile corridor one of 12 priority project corridors in the state. This North-South corridor is located east and west of Va. 234/Prince William Parkway, and in the area of the Tri-County Parkway between Interstate 95 and U.S. 50. Connections to the Dulles Greenway and Va. 7 have also been identified as part of the corridor, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Expected population growth, shifts in employment centers, and the need for new transit options to  Dulles Airport are just some of the reasons why transportation officials say a new road is needed. At the meetings, residents will be able to give their input on two alternatives being considered for the corridor, according to a press release:

Alternative 1 would improve access to Dulles Airport, link several planned roadway improvements within the North-South Corridor; and expand bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the corridor.

Alternative 2 would add high occupancy vehicle and high occupancy toll (HOV/HOT) lanes and high-frequency transit from I-95 to Dulles Airport. Carpools with three or more persons would ride free; others would pay a toll during peak periods. Alternative 2 also includes bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the corridor.

And those interested in having a say on this project had better act fast, as comments on the corridor will only be accepted through January 2. They can be emailed or mailed to addresses listed on Virginia’s Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment website.

Opponents of a new north-south highway in the corridor said the meeting was poorly timed during the holiday season, and that the proposed highway does nothing to allieviate traffic on congested Interstate 66.

More from Your Piece of the Planet:

The North-South Corridor is designed to crack open the Rural Area in Prince William, the Transition Area in Loudoun, and the agricultural reserve in Montgomery County across the Potomac River.

Instead of investing scarce funds in expanding the capacity of VRE or existing roads to speed up commuter traffic headed towards DC, VDOT’s priority is… to help trucks get from Dulles Airport to I-81, leaving commuter fixes unfunded. Is that the #1 traffic problem to solve in Northern Virginia?

The Rural Crescent is an area of land in Prince William County that extends from Independent Hill, around Gainesville, to the Manassas Battlefield. Protected by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors in 1998, the idea behind keeping the land open was to reduce suburban sprawl in the area.