Prince William County Road Projects Get State, Federal Funds

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors appropriated about $14 million in federal stimulus and state funds Tuesday for transportation projects.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the county received $9.1 million to widen Prince William Parkway between Hoadly and Old Bridge roads to six lanes. The project will include right-turn lanes when possible.

Prince William Transportation Director Thomas J. Blaser said the entire project, including engineering and right-of-way costs, totals nearly $12 million, with the rest of the funding mainly coming from proffers.

The section to be widened runs by the county government center, although Blaser said it is too soon to tell how the construction will affect traffic.

The design work is complete, Blaser said, and construction crews should break ground in February. Under the stimulus guidelines, the county has until February 2012 to complete construction.

The board also appropriated more than $2.7 million in funding from the commonwealth Tuesday to improve and widen Fuller Heights Road. The proposed project will widen Fuller Heights to four lanes near Marine Corps Base Quantico and realign Fuller Heights and Fuller roads. Fuller Heights traffic backs up at the base entrance and spills onto Route 1, county officials said.

Blaser said the state funding will cover the cost of the project. The design phase will begin immediately, and construction should begin within a year.

A third project the board appropriated money for Tuesday is to be conducted on Purcell Road. The board appropriated roughly $2.2 million in funds from the Regional Surface Transportation Program, which will be added to the roughly $2.6 million already budgeted to complete the project.

The funding will be used to realign Purcell Road and correct a sharp bend. Purcell will also be widened to four lanes between Route 234 and Vista Brooke Drive.