VDOT outlines Braddock Road improvement alternatives
Planning is underway on improvements at three intersections on Braddock Road.
Officials from the state and county transportation departments outlined several alternatives at a community meeting Jan. 13 for three critical intersections: Ravensworth Road, Wakefield Chapel Road/Danbury Drive, and Burke Lake Road.
The Virginia Department of Transportation encourages the public to submit feedback on which improvements they prefer. Take an online survey or submit comments via to [email protected] by Feb. 24.
The Braddock Road Multimodal Improvements project extends along three miles between Ravensworth Road in Annandale and Humphries Drive in Burke. It also includes the southbound Beltway ramp and a half-mile on Ravensworth Road between Braddock Road and Heritage Drive.
The project is aimed at improving traffic flow, safety, and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Improving the congested Braddock Road corridor has been under consideration since a citizen task force was established in 2014. The task force decided against widening Braddock Road and instead proposed a series of intersection improvements, a concept later approved by the Board of Supervisors.
After the funding application was rejected a couple of times, VDOT modified the plan to reduce the cost. In August, $55 million was approved in Smart Scale funds.
Phase 1 of the Braddock Road Multimodal Improvements – between Ravensworth Road and Southampton Drive – has been fully funded with a mix of federal, state, and local funds.
Construction is still years away. A preliminary timeline calls for a public hearing on the design in late winter of 2022/23. Right-of-way acquisition for Phase 1 would occur from spring 2025 to fall 2026. Construction would start in fall 2028 and would take about three years.
At the Jan. 13 meeting, VDOT and FCDOT officials described the base options (which were presented to the public in 2020) and two alternative options. The improvements outlined for each intersection can be mixed and matched.
Wakefield Chapel Road/Danbury Forest Drive
Option 1:
• There would be dual left-turn lanes from eastbound Braddock Road to Wakefield Chapel Road.
• Crosswalks would be added along each quadrant.
• Danbury Forest Drive would be aligned with Wakefield Chapel Road. That would require relocating a section of Long Branch creek, necessitating environmental and wetlands evaluations.
• Danbury Forest Drive would be widened at the signal to allow for additional turning movements.
Option 2:
• A signal would be added at Danbury Forest Drive, allowing left turns onto westbound Braddock Road.
• There would be a signalized right turn lane from Danbury Forest to Wakefield Chapel.
• There would also be a channelized NB right turn from Danbury Forest onto EB Braddock.
• A channelized lane would allow left turns from WB Braddock to Danbury Forest.
• Danbury Forest would be slightly realigned.
Rolling Road
Option 1:
• A new traffic signal would stop westbound traffic on Braddock Road only when a pedestrian signal is activated.
• A painted island at WB Braddock Road would channelize northbound traffic turning left with a receiving/merge lane for inside left turns.
• The right lane on EB Braddock would be channelized for right turns onto Rolling Road.
• A pedestrian refuge would be added to Rolling Road; pedestrians could push a button to allow safe crossing.
• There would be another pedestrian refuge on Braddock.
Option 2:
• There would be a traditional traffic signal.
• The right turn from EB Braddock to Rolling Road would be channelized.
• EB Braddock would be narrowed after the intersection to reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians, and there would be no refuge island.
• There would be a narrower pedestrian median island on WB Braddock.
Burke Lake Road
Both options call for a pedestrian bridge – with ramps instead of stairs – east of the intersection.
Option 1:
• There would be right-in/right-out access at Burke Lake Shopping Center.
• EB right turns Burke Lake Road would be eliminated.
• Pedestrian crossing distances would be reduced on Braddock Road and Burke Lake Road.
• The signal would be removed, and movement would be reduced at Kings Park Drive.
Option 2:
• Drivers could no longer turn right from Burke Lake Shopping Center onto EB Braddock.
• EB right turns from Braddock to Burke Lake Road would be eliminated.
• An enhanced pedestrian refuge at the southwest corner of the intersection would reduce crossing distances.
• The traffic signal at Kings Park Drive would be retained.
Ravensworth Road improvements (between Braddock Road and Heritage Drive)
• Crosswalks would be added at all approaches.
• A shared-use path would continue on Ravensworth to the church entrance.
• Channelized right-turn islands at the intersection of Braddock and Ravensworth would be removed.
• There would be dual left lanes from EB Braddock to Ravensworth.
• Ravensworth would be widened to allow two receiving lanes northbound.
• Bike lanes would be extended to Braddock Road.
Beltway interchange improvements
• A shared right/through lane on EB Braddock would start after Port Royal Road heading toward I-495 northbound.
• There would be a new signal for the dual right off-ramp from I-495 south to EB Braddock Road.
2 responses to “VDOT outlines Braddock Road improvement alternatives”
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Yet they refused to do anything at the intersection of Queensberry & Braddock. They have nothing but excuses – not enough accidents, it would slow up traffic on Braddock. There are numerous accidents there with the most recent one on 1/15/2022 when a teenager ran the light t-boning a resident of Ravensworth. Maybe once someone is killed there they can sue the County/State as they have been notified many times of the dangers this intersection poses. Numerous people and groups (Civic Associations) have tried to change this intersection and even the Fire Department states it’s a bad area as it is furthest away from the fire station – thus help is delayed! VDOT says it’s fine – nothing wrong with the intersection; people have spoken with Walkinshaw couple of months ago, and were told he can’t do anything because any change on this traffic light will impact the flow of traffic on Braddock. Cars cut through Ravensworth leading to more traffic at this signal with heavy volumes of cars on Braddock Road. As a former swim parent, I crossed that intersection some days 8 times and out of the 8 times I was almost hit half the time either by someone not yielding to the red light crossing or from those running the red light on Braddock. I guess when someone dies VDOT will finally realize something needs to be done.
The 2nd thing Gov Gunman needs to do is clean out the rats nest at VDOT. I can’t imagine a project this small taking years to complete. The proposal construction at 7 corners won’t be completed until 2045! By that time the project will be outdated! VDOT won’t remove a tree that’s about to fall but waits til it falls.