Info for Fairfax County commuters on 7100

[geekchick]

Hey, local-types: If you travel 7100 in the Fair Lakes area, you'll want to know about this if you don't already.

By now you have probably noticed the orange road work signs placed around Fair Lakes,
indicating that construction on the new interchange is about to begin. Shirley Contracting has
been selected as the general contractor for this federal stimulus project.

The work will involve construction of six new lanes (three in each direction), plus a split-diamond,
grade-separated interchange with the Fairfax County Parkway bridging over Fair Lakes Parkway
and Monument Drive. Replacing the current at-grade intersection will allow for the free flow of
traffic along 7100 with no signals between Pope’s Head Road and Route 50. The new local
lanes, with traffic signals at Fair Lakes Parkway and Monument Drive, will give direct access to
Fair Lakes’ shopping, dining, office and residential communities. See attached “before” and
“after” aerial images. Projected project completion is in three years.

Clearing is slated to begin mid-October along the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 7100) and
should take five to six weeks to complete, weather permitting. This work will be done during
daylight hours. We will see some grading work and lane shifts in 2010, with major work to hit in
2011. A Fair Lakes Circle traffic detour is also planned by VDOT.

For those of you that travel through the Fairfax County Parkway / Fair Lakes Parkway intersection
regularly, we would recommend that you consider some alternate routes as the construction kicks
into high gear:

• Eastbound travel – use the I-66 / Route 50 Interchange to West Ox Road or use Route
29 to Stringfellow Road or West Ox Road

• Westbound travel – use the I-66 / Route 50 Interchange to West Ox Road or use Route
29 to Stringfellow Road or West Ox Road

• Southbound travel (on 7100) – use Route 50 to go west to Stringfellow Road or east to
West Ox Road

• Northbound travel (on 7100) – use Route 29 to go west to Stringfellow Road or east to
West Ox Road

I know they're both very much needed, but between this and the 29/Linton Hall Rd. intersection overhaul in Gainesville, my commute is about to go from "not all that bad" to "I never thought that a Beltway commute would seem like a more pleasant alternative" for the next few years. :-P

Comments

[grum]

Oh, my. I'm so sorry to hear about your commute.

[geekchick]

Thanks. =) I'm mostly just cranky because they're cutting off my direct access to 7100. It could always be worse though: they could be putting in roundabouts. ;)