Prince William, regional officials break ground on jug handle intersection

The project, near the George Mason University Science and Technology Campus near Manassas, is a quadrant intersection that resembles a jughandle when viewed from above, that will create a new roadway connecting Prince William Parkway to University Boulevard, where it connects with Discovery Boulevard.

The project will eliminate left turns at the Prince William Parkway and University Boulevard intersection to reduce the number of signal phases and improve throughput along Prince William Parkway.

“By implementing innovative alternatives, such as this Quadrant Road Intersection, we can improve operations and safety while minimizing impacts to land use and the environment and reducing costs to taxpayers,” Prince William County Chair At-Large Ann Wheeler said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “Furthermore, by being strategic in where we are investing in transportation, we are able to use transportation projects to support additional county goals. Innovation Park, where we stand, is a Small Area Plan, home to targeted industries, higher education, entertainment, and recreational destinations, and located adjacent to high-capacity transit at the Broad Run VRE Station.”

Prince William County funded $5.5 million of the $29.7-million project, with the rest of the money coming from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, or NVTA, which designates and helps fund projects that benefit the region.

“This is an exciting regional and county project because it exemplifies how Prince William County is leveraging collaboration, innovation, and strategic investment to not just meet current needs, but set our county up for long-term success,” Wheeler said.

To date, NVTA has funded or helped fund 17 projects in Prince William County, totaling more than $585 million. “In NVTA, what we know for certain is that we are such a collective region, and most people, when they’re driving around the region, have no idea when they just crossed over from Loudoun County into Fairfax County or from Prince William County into Loudoun County. So, to have these regional road connections is so important because we move as a region,” said NVTA Chair Phyllis J. Randall, who is also chair of the Loudon Board of County Supervisors.

“The start of construction on this regionally significant project is a big milestone for the region, as it will aid in alleviating traffic congestion along Prince William Parkway, improve traffic flow, and enhance pedestrian and vehicle safety. This project aligns with NVTA’s vision to invest in a multimodal transportation system that enhances Northern Virginians’ quality of life by getting them to their destinations faster, in addition to building a transportation network that is resilient in varying conditions for decades to come,” Randall said.

The Prince William Parkway-University Boulevard, Intersection Improvements Project, was first identified in a study by the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions, or STARS, program as a project that would relieve congestion and solve traffic and safety challenges.

“These studies, funded by VDOT, bring together county and state professionals with a wide range of technical expertise to identify creative, comprehensive, cost-effective solutions to mobility challenges, and have been critical to the county’s transportation planning process,” Wheeler said. “This project is going to significantly improve access to this area to encourage transit-oriented development, economic growth, and greater transit use to further reduce congestion and environmental footprint.”

Prince William County Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson thanked everyone for attending the groundbreaking ceremony, along with those involved in the project.

“This wouldn’t happen without the people that are working to make this happen behind the scenes. They’re the ones that really deserve so much of the credit,” Lawson said. “I want to thank everybody from the elected leaders at NVTA to the staff that works so hard day-in and day-out and makes sure that we are spending the taxpayer dollars efficiently.”