Little River Turnpike targeted for improvements

The state of Virginia has identified a section of Little River Turnpike in Annandale as in need of improvements. The goal is to reduce congestion and make the corridor safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

A study assessing traffic capacity and safety on a half-mile stretch of Route 336 between Prosperity Avenue and Wakefield Chapel Road is part of the state’s Project Pipeline initiative. A similar study is underway on Route 7 in Tysons.

Project Pipeline is a performance-based planning program to identify cost-effective solutions to multimodal transportation. The study will recommend solutions and potential funding sources.

Community members are encouraged to take a survey to identify their priorities. The survey will be up through Feb. 16.

The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board created Project Pipeline. It’s led by Virginia’s Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment in collaboration with VDOT and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.

The Commonwealth is partnering with Fairfax County to develop targeted improvements for the Route 236 and Route 7 studies that minimize community impacts and address priority needs in a cost-effective way.

The Little River Turnpike study will focus on the west end of the project area where there are two closely spaced signals and high-volume turning movements. It also seeks to enhance pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and increase bus ridership.

Existing problems include eastbound congestion and queueing at Prosperity Avenue during morning rush hours and westbound congestion and queueing at Woodburn Road during morning and evening rush hours.

Between 2015 and 2019, there were 62 crashes on Little River Turnpike at or near the Prosperity and Woodburn intersections, 30 at or near Wakefield Drive, and 56 at or near Wakefield Chapel Road.

The vast majority of crashes were rear end or angle crashes.

Project Pipeline identified the following potential improvements for Little River Turnpike:

• Add ADA-compliant loading pads at the Iva Lane eastbound, Wakefield Road east and westbound, and Wakefield Chapel Road east and westbound bus stops.
• Connect the bus stops at Wakefield Road and Wakefield Chapel Road with a sidewalk or pathway network.
• Add a crosswalk across Little River Turnpike at Wakefield Chapel Road.
• Leverage existing commuter assistance programs to promote the use of transit, carpools, and van pools and provide information about ride-matching to residents and employers.