Not ready for the sound of silver bells yet? We are grateful this month has been about the sound of scissors snipping and shovels digging in Prince William County! Here is a roundup of important transportation and infrastructure milestones this November:
Earlier this month, Prince William County Government joined community stakeholders to celebrate the successful completion of transportation improvements along 5,000 feet of Prince William Parkway and 1,500 feet along Discovery Boulevard, including enhancements at the intersection of Discovery Boulevard and Hornbaker Road.
The $30-million project, funded entirely by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, or NVTA, adds a lane in each direction on Prince William Parkway, expanding the road to three lanes in each direction.
The "jughandle" design increases pedestrian safety, featuring a new 10-foot-wide asphalt shared-use path as well as a five-foot-wide concrete sidewalk. Discovery Boulevard now includes a 2,000-foot extension as a four-lane divided roadway from its intersection with University Boulevard.
"This interchange is the main gateway to Innovation Park, George Mason University SciTech campus and the future Innovation District," said Tom Gordy, Supervisor, Brentsville, District. "And these are all magnets for economic development for Prince William County. By next year, we will see a town center coming to life, and having this interchange complete before the new traffic comes ensures that we will be able to accommodate the growth that we hope to see from all these investments."
The 20,000 square-foot VRE Station House broke ground on November 16, including new renderings of the landmark design featuring a striking vaulted arch pass-through for train passengers as well as more than 15,000 square-feet of retail space over two levels.
"The completion of the VRE Garage and groundbreaking for the Station House at Potomac Shores brings us closer than ever to our long-held goals of VRE Service and commercial development within this community," said Andrea Bailey, Supervisor, Potomac District. "I intend to work closely with relevant agencies and with private sector partners to see these goals realized."
Prince William County celebrated the opening of its first commuter garage on November 15, introducing a state-of-the-art facility featuring 1,400 parking spaces, Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, OmniRide bus stops and a newly constructed pedestrian facility along River Rock Way, creating a more accessible and eco-friendly commuting environment.
Funding for the project came from federal, state, regional and local sources, with $45.9 million provided by federal funds, $3 million from the NVTA, $3.9 million from the state of Virginia, and $1.8 million from Prince William County through proffers, the Transportation and Roadway Improvement Program, and developer contributions.
"This parking garage represents opportunity. This represents multimodalism. This represents economic development. This represents reduced congestion. It represents all of those things that you may not associate with having a parking garage," -Monica Backmon, NVTA Executive Director.
The garage, strategically located adjacent to Potomac Town Center and the new Opitz Boulevard ramp on the I-95 Express Lanes and across from Sentara Hospital, significantly improves multimodal commuting options and expands parking accessibility for residents and local businesses. The facility is now open with OmniRide service beginning on Monday, Dec. 9.