Observation Road relocation: Eight-month detour ahead for Manassas Regional Airport commuters, aviation enthusiasts

Manassas city spokeswoman Patty Prince announced significant changes looming for commuters and aviation enthusiasts traversing the Manassas Regional Airport vicinity.

Motorists accustomed to driving Observation Road for plane-spotting or business commutes will soon encounter a detour necessitated by an impending street relocation initiative. This redirection will channel traffic away from Observation Road via a temporary access route, impacting eastbound travelers on Piper Lane and southbound commuters heading toward the Tower area.

The altered detour is slated to begin shortly and endure for approximately eight months, coinciding with the relocation efforts to mitigate the persistent flooding issues plaguing Observation Road.

Underpinning this transportation transformation is a sizable investment, with the Observation Road relocation endeavor commanding a budget of $5 million. The transformation of the airport’s landscape entails the demolition of multiple hangars, some of which had been tenanted by Dulles Aviation, a venerable flight school, for about four decades.

Notably, two expansive corporate hangars on the northwest periphery have been razed to make way for road infrastructure and enhanced drainage systems.

Jolene Berry, the airport’s assistant director, told Potomac Local in December that these hangars once accommodated the Fairfax police helicopter division for an interim period of almost three years during the reconstruction of their primary facility.

Financing for this project derives from bipartisan infrastructure legislation, commonly called BIL funding.

Berry delineated the financing strategy, outlining the airport’s intent to front the project expenses and subsequently seek reimbursement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over five years.

As the construction endeavors unfold, the hangar sites will give way to the realignment of Observation Road, a thoroughfare connecting the airport’s eastern and western sectors while also serving as an access point to a Virginia Railway Express station.

Accompanying the road relocation will be the construction of a retaining wall, a stormwater retention pond, and the relocation of utilities, augmenting the infrastructure enhancements.

The Manassas Regional Airport has the distinction of being the largest municipal airport in the state. Moreover, the airport is poised to undergo further evolution with the imminent introduction of a new commercial airline service, offering travelers a third option alongside the Reagan National Airport and Dulles Airport for air travel needs.