Bi-County Parkway
(Update June 2012)
Alliance Position:
Construct limited access parkway and tranist corridor connecting Route 234 at I-66 in Prince William County north to Route 50 and then via Route 659 Relocated to Route 7 in Loudoun County. Such a corridor is particularly important to improve passenger and freight access to Washington Dulles International Airport from the south, west and north.
Recent Status/Chronology:
May 1, 2012 – The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors reverses the position of the previous Board and restores the portion of this roadway from U.S. Route 50 to the Prince William County line to a planned design of 6-lanes within a 120’ right of way. (Note: The Alliance believes that a 160’- 200’ right-of-way is preferable to provide flexibility in designing the roadway and providing ample space and buffering for bike and hiking trails and future communities.)
May 18, 2011 - CTB designates a new multi-modal Northern Virginia North-South Corridor of Statewide Significance (CoSS) in the area generally east and west of Route 234 in Prince William County extended to Route 7 in Loudoun County. To read this resolution, click here.
Since then the Office of the Secretary of Transportation has undertaken a review of existing and planned transportation facilities in this area. This review is expected to be complete by the end of 2012.
The overal Northern Virginia North-South Corridor involves many existing roads and transit services along with the long-planned Bi-County (Route 234 at I-66 extended north to Route 50 and then to Route 659 Relocated to Route 7 in Loudoun County) and Tri-County (New Comprehensive Plan alignment from Route 234/Sudley Road, around the western edge of the City of Manassas to I-66 and then north through Fairfax County to Loudoun County Parkway and Route 7 in Loudoun County) Parkways.
In 2006 and following completion of the draft Tri-County Parkway EIS and Location Study, the Commonwealth Transportation Board designated the Bi-County Parkway as it locally preferred alternative. It did so, despite the EIS’s findings that the Tri-County Parkway Comprehensive Plan route provides greater overall mobility benefits. (See Tri-County Parkway section of the web site.)
The 2005 Tri-County Parkway Location Study states, “This (bi-county) corridor affects the largest decrease in hours of delay over the no build alternative.” It also ranks second to Comp Plan route in reducing VMT. (Note: While this alternative ranks high in terms of fewer neighborhood and environmental impacts, it does not serve system or community linkage needs or economic demands as well as the Comp Plan/TCP alignment. It also is not projected to have significant peak hour congestion.)
The Bi-County Parkway has standing with local governments. All Bi-County Parkway elements appear on the local land-use and transportation plans of Loudoun and Prince William Counties. The Loudoun County Comprehensive Transportation Plan was updated as recently as 2010.
To view a map of the southern portion proposed Bi-County Parkway (Route 234 at I-66 extended north to Route 50), click here. Note: Segments C and D constitute the southern portion.
Most Immediate Need:
Underscore with local and state governments the importance of protecting adequate right-of-way for a limited access, north/south parkway corridor between the Prince William Parkway/Foute 234 Bypass/I-66 interchange in Prince William County and U.S. 50 in Loudoun County. To further limit access on that portion of Northstar Blvd. immediately to the north of Route 50 to facilitate construction of a limited access link to the western side of Washington Dulles International Airport as an alternative to U.S. Route 50.