Prince William County has completed a $30-million infrastructure project along Prince William Parkway and Discovery Boulevard, funded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The improvements include expanded lanes, a shared-use path, and a sidewalk, aimed at reducing congestion and supporting economic growth in the area.

Press Release:

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Prince William County press release: The project to widen Balls Ford Road between Doane Drive and Ashton Avenue to a four-lane, divided roadway is now officially complete. The county’s Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the parking lot of the General Shale Brick Company last week with county staff, as well as local, regional and state officials, contractors and visitors in attendance.

The 1.2-mile improvement, located in the Gainesville Magisterial District, includes not only the widening of the roadway, but also a 16-foot-wide grass median, a 10-foot-wide shared-use path and a 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk along the south and north side of the road respectively.

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The Fuller Road and Fuller Heights Road Improvement Project, with a price tag of $10.3 million, reached its culmination with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on Monday afternoon, Feb. 26, 2024. The initiative, situated near the entrance of Quantico Marine Corps Base, had its inception in 2009 and saw fruition through a collaborative effort, drawing funding from federal, state, regional, and local sources.

Among its notable features, the project boasts a newly added right-turn lane along Joplin Road leading to northbound U.S. 1, alongside a realigned Fuller Heights Road intersection. This realignment facilitates north and southbound access through the incorporation of a roundabout at the intersection of Fuller Heights Road and Old Triangle Road.

Deshundra Jefferson, Chair At-Large of the Board of County Supervisors, expressed gratitude towards the various entities involved in making the project a reality. “You guys have really done an amazing job with this,” remarked Jefferson during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “I’m proud to say that these road improvements are a significant step in moving Prince William towards our strategic goal by easing congestion and improving mobility in the Triangle area for residents, local businesses, and our military facilities.”

Andrea Bailey, Potomac District Supervisor, highlighted the project’s multifaceted approach toward enhancing the quality of life in the region. “This project is a small part of the work done and awaiting us to enhance the quality of life in this area,” stated Bailey. “We listened to the concerns of our residents regarding traffic on Joplin accessing Route 1 and I-95 to be safe during peak traffic hours and sharing the work of ensuring our county’s roadways are safe and relieved of traffic congestion.”

Monica Backmon, Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), emphasized the significance of collaboration in project completion. “It is rare that a project, regardless of the scope and scale, gets done without several entities coming to the table, collaborating,” noted Backmon. “For the Authority’s part, it was bringing funding. We all collaborate; and not only does this project visualize or really bring to light the collaboration, improved accessibility, safety options, modal options, all of that that you get.”

Terry Yates, Northern Virginia Local Assistance Manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), echoed sentiments regarding the importance of collaboration. “People wonder why transportation projects take so long, and it’s just a tremendous amount of collaboration,” remarked Yates. “Years ago, it was mostly technical and engineering, and there are so many other aspects, multimodal, cultural, citizen buy-in, all these things must gel before a project comes together.”

The Prince William County Department of Transportation and the Prince William County Planning Office are gathering public input for a multimodal corridor study on Route 28 in the Yorkshire area.

This study, funded by an $80,000 grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Transportation Planning Board, explores cost-effective alternatives to enhance multimodal travel options over a two-mile stretch of Route 28.

A survey is available on the Yorkshire Multimodal Corridor Study page to facilitate public participation. According to the county government, the survey is crucial for the study’s development and will remain open until February 29, 2024. An open house is scheduled for February 15, 2024, at Yorkshire Elementary School, 7610 Old Centreville Road, Manassas, at 6:30 p.m.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors County 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted by the Board of County, designated Yorkshire as an activity center when it approved its most recent comprehensive land-use plan in 2022.

Meanwhile, the county government is also considering constructing a four-mile Route 28 bypass, an extension of Godwin Drive, from UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas to Route 28 in Fairfax County.

Last fall, the Board of County Supervisors sunk an additional $1 million for the bypass project’s redesign. Transportation Director Rick Canizales raised uncertainties about Fairfax County’s commitment to the $300 million project.

Potential challenges include demolishing six homes in Fairfax County and 70 homes in Prince William County. Canizales told Prince William’s Supervisors in October 2023 that concerns have been raised about political hesitation for the project during an election year in Fairfax County. The bypass, discussed for over a decade, remains scrutinized for its future viability.

In 2020, the Board of County Supervisors unanimously decided to widen a nearly four-mile stretch of Route 28 in Yorkshire, between Liberia Avenue in Manassas and the Fairfax County line instead of building the bypass. The project had been estimated to cost about $400 million.

However, one month later, the Board overturned its decision in a 5-3 decision along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor, prompting a return to the Godwin Drive extension (Route 28 bypass). Former Chair At-large Ann Wheeler pushed for reconsideration and expressed support for the Godwin Drive extension and a future bi-county parkway connecting Interstate 95 in Dumfries to Dulles Airport in Loudoun County.

However, an $89 million funding allocation for the Godwin Drive extension faced potential withdrawal by Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Chair Phyllis Randall, who also serves as Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair At-large.

“I’m not going to allow this [funding] to be unappropriated for months and months,” Randall scolded during September 8, 2020, Board of County Superviosrs meeting, in which she and a delegation from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority lined up to speak the board members, most of whom were just nine months on the job. “I will put forth a motion to disappropriate the project altogether.”

The threat also prompted a shift in support from the Manassas City Council, ensuring endorsement of the Godwin Drive extension two months after it initially voted to pull support for the bypass. 

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Northern Virginia Transportation Authority: “On June 8th, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) marked a momentous occasion as it celebrated two significant milestones. This year, NVTA is proudly commemorating its 20th anniversary since its establishment, in addition to celebrating its 10th funding anniversary. These achievements were made possible through the passing of two pivotal bills.”

“In 2002, former Governor Mark Warner signed Senate Bill 576, which brought NVTA into existence. This legislation laid the foundation for the Authority to address transportation challenges in Northern Virginia. Over a decade later, in 2013, former Governor Robert McDonnell signed House Bill 2313, a transformative bill that granted NVTA a dedicated revenue stream. The funding made possible by HB 2313 has been instrumental in supporting NVTA’s mission of financing multimodal transportation projects aimed at reducing congestion across the region.”

“Since receiving a dedicated funding stream, NVTA has successfully advanced 122 multimodal projects totaling more than $3.1 billion. In addition to allocations made possible through NVTA’s Regional Revenue Fund, the Authority has provided nearly $1 billion to its member jurisdictions as part of its Local Distribution Fund. It is without a doubt that NVTA’s investments to improve the transportation network and provide congestion reducing solutions are making a profound impact on the quality of life for Northern Virginians.”