Dr. Gridlock asked for an updated list of the major road projects in Northern Virginia so you'll know the nature of the projects and when they'll be finished. The list was compiled with the assistance of Virginia Department of Transportation spokespeople Joan Morris and Ryan Hall and Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project spokesman John Undeland.
Interstate 66 widening: VDOT is adding two lanes (one conventional lane and one HOV lane) in each direction for 3.8 miles between Business Route 234 and Route 234/Prince William Parkway. Work is scheduled to be completed by October 2006.
University Boulevard connector: VDOT is building a link between Wellington Road and Route 29 in Prince William County that will allow Nissan Pavilion traffic to cross over I-66 from Route 29 without having to go through Gainesville congestion. Work started Dec. 8, and the project is scheduled for completion by Sept. 6, 2006.
Springfield interchange: Construction continues on this massive $700 million project that will separate local, express and through travel on three levels at the interchange of the Beltway, Interstate 95 and Interstate 395. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007. For more information, visit www.springfieldinterchange.com or call 877-959-5222.
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project: The $2.4 billion project is proceeding on schedule, with new eastbound and westbound bridges to be in place by 2008 and four interchanges to be completed by 2011.
The new bridges will carry five lanes of traffic in each direction, with a sixth lane reserved for future mass transit use (as yet to be determined). The bridges will have shoulders. The current, deteriorating bridge carries three lanes in each direction with no shoulders.
The new Maryland interchanges, at Interstate 295 and Route 210, are scheduled for completion by the end of 2008. The Virginia interchanges are at Route 1 (completion in 2009) and Telegraph Road (completion in 2011).
As part of the project, the Beltway will be widened to five lanes in each direction (with a sixth lane reserved for mass transit) for 7.5 miles, including the bridge and its approaches.
Undeland says the project is on budget. For more information, visit www.wilsonbridge.com or call 703-329-0300.
Route 123 widening: The state is widening Route 123 to four lanes, divided, for nine miles between Burke Lake Road in Fairfax County and the Occoquan River at the Fairfax-Prince William border. It looks as if the project will be finished by Memorial Day 2006.
The work has been divided into four phases:
• Phase I -- Burke Lake Road to Lee Chapel Road (2.4 miles). Work began Dec. 10, 2001, and was completed on time on June 30, 2003.
• Phase II -- Lee Chapel Road to Davis Drive (2.5 miles). Work began Aug. 9, 2002, and was completed on time on April 30, 2004.
• Phase III -- Davis Drive to Route 722 (1.9 miles). Work began in July 2004 and is scheduled to be completed May 31, 2006.
• Phase IV -- The Occoquan River Bridge and approaches (2.4 miles). Work began in October 2003 and is scheduled to be completed May 1, 2006.
Route 28: A public-private partnership is constructing a half-dozen interchanges along this busy north-south corridor in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. These interchanges, featuring overpasses or underpasses, will allow for the elimination of traffic signals and smoother traffic flow at what have been bottlenecks.
