LAKE RIDGE — A transportation hotspot in Prince William County getting some new attention is an area off Minnieville Road marked by Telegraph Road to the south, and Summit School Road to the north.
On the recently released six-year plan adopted by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, the authority allotted $11 million widen Telegraph and extend Summit School Road, enhancing this area as a commuter destination.
The nearby Horner Road commuter lot has 2,300 spaces, and on a typical weekday, the lot is overflowing with cars. The lot is edged by the busy Prince William Parkway and Interstate 95.
Another commuter lot is located on Telegraph Road where commuters pack slug lines to get to destinations in Arlington and Washington. The lines enable a single driver to pick up two or more people to ride in their vehicle and qualify for free travel on the I-95 Express Lanes in the mornings and afternoons.
Although the $11 million has been allocated to the Telegraph widening and Summit School extension projects, they are a ways from moving forward. There has been no timeline determined for the projects, according to Paolo J. Belita, a Regional Transportation Planner with the Prince William County Department of Transportation.
Summit School Road is a four-lane roadway that abruptly ends in a wooded area. The plans include extending it to Telegraph Road, providing another way to access the Horner Road lot. This project would widen Telegraph Road from Caton Hill Road to Prince William Parkway.
Both roads and commuter lots are in the Occoquan District, where Supervisor Ruth Anderson is well aware of the transportation needs. Her office is pursuing funding from a state-wide program called “Smart Scale,” in addition to the $11 million from NVTA.
Smart Scale is a program run by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment. According to their website, “SMART SCALE is about investing limited tax dollars in the right projects that meet the most critical transportation needs in Virginia,” so they will have to compete with a wide variety of programs across the state.
As the area grows, the needs for this commuting hub grow. Belita did note that “recent studies have shown that this section of Telegraph Road currently experiences delay and queuing during peak hours,” he said in an email. “Analyses have shown that the proposed extension of Summit School Road and widening of Telegraph Road will improve overall corridor operations.”
County spokesperson Jason Grant did say they were working with the VDOT to determine the best way to approach these transportation improvements, and an analysis is currently underway. Officials expect to know more when the analysis is completed later in the summer.
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