Western Transportation Corridor
(Update May 2011)
Alliance Position:
Construct limited access parkway and tranist corridor connecting I-95 south of Prince William County with Gainesville, I-66, Dulles Airport and Route 7/Leesburg in Virginia and I-270 in Maryland.
Recent Status/Chronology:
During the 2009 General Assembly session, Delegate Tom Rust of Northern Virginia secured unanimous General Assembly approval for H.B. 2019, which directed the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to develop corridors of statewide significance as part of their transportation planning responsibilities.
As a follow up, Virginia's Long-Range Multimodal Transportation Plan (VTRANS 2035) final report to the Governor and General Assembly later that year acknowledged the significance of increased interstate capacity around the Washington, D.C. area as a key strategy to unlocking the crippling gridlock in the I-95 corridor.
On May 18, 2011 the Commonwealth Transportation Board designated 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.
This particular 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.
This new CoSS is not a Western Corridor. However, absent leadership by the Commonwealth to identify a new corridor further to the south, various elements of this network, by default, could end up carrying regional and through traffic better handled by a limited access Western Corridor.
Most Immediate Need
Re-engage the Commonwealth in identifying and protecting a limited access, north/south parkway corridor connecting I-95 between Prince William County’s southern border and the City of Fredericksburg with Gainesville, Dulles and Leesburg in Virginia with I-70/270 in Maryland. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the best corridors to the construction of new homes and commercial structures.
For More Information
For past Alliance alerts regarding the Western Transportation Corridor, click here.
Northern Virginia Transaction 2030 Plan
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Profile
10 Reasons to Build the Western Corridor