Beginning Monday, traffic and parking on North Shore Drive will be limited as re-paving work is done.

According to signs posted on the road, the work is scheduled for July 10 through Aug. 10. Parking limitations will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day while the work is being conducted.

The work will be done on the entire 3.53-mile length of the road. As part of the re-paving project, lines will be painted on the road to create bike lanes and add sharrows.

Paving projects have already been completed this season on North Village Road and a small portion of Wiehle Avenue. More paving will take place this summer on roads including Colts Neck Road, Glade Drive and Twin Branches Road.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave its seal of approval to plans to widen Leesburg Pike (Route 7) from Reston to Tysons.

The Virginia Department of Transportation project will involve nearly seven miles of Route 7, between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive, which is just before the Dulles Toll Road interchange. Supervisors approved the plan, with two minor amendments, as it was presented at a public hearing in November. (View information shared and discussed at that meeting here.)

“[This has been] a long-awaited case,” Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said at the meeting prior to the vote.

This is the latest stage of VDOT’s work to add two lanes to the heavily traveled highway, bringing it to six overall. They also plan to add facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and make “substantial intersection and other improvements” along the corridor. Those improvements, according to VDOT, will include constructing a partial interchange at Baron Cameron Avenue to reduce congestion.

A rendering provided by VDOT shows the Baron Cameron interchange will have the eastbound lanes of Route 7 traveling under the road, connected via ramps. Westbound lanes will continue to face a stoplight at the intersection.

According to 2011 traffic counts provided by VDOT, the stretch of Route 7 carries between 46,000 and 54,000 vehicles per day. That number is expected to increase to 73,000 to 86,000 by 2040, VDOT says.

Anticipated cost of the project is $234 million. VDOT is expected to put out its request for proposals on the project later this year. Work is planned to start in late 2020 and last until 2025.

Rendering and map courtesy Virginia Department of Transportation

A meeting is slated for June 1 to discuss the effects of widening of Route 7 from Reston to Tysons.

Michael J. Coughlin is the eminent domain, land use and zoning, and real estate lawyer for Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley and Walsh PC. He will host the meeting on the project Thursday, June 1 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Sheraton Tysons (8661 Leesburg Pike, Tysons).

The proposed Virginia Department of Transportation project will involve nearly seven miles of Route 7, between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive, which is just before the Dulles Toll Road interchange. Coughlin is inviting residents to the meeting to “learn about the project, potential impacts to properties, what to do to prepare for the project, the eminent domain process in Virginia, and the legal rights of owners and businesses affected by the project.”

This is the latest stage of VDOT’s work to add two lanes to the heavily traveled highway, bringing it to six overall. They also plan to add facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and make “substantial intersection and other improvements” along the corridor.

Those improvements, according to VDOT, would include:

• Constructing a partial interchange at Baron Cameron Avenue to reduce congestion
• Relocating Lewinsville Road and creating a displaced left-turn intersection
• Replacing and raising the Difficult Run bridge to reduce flooding

The last public hearing on the project was held in November. View information shared and discussed at that meeting here.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is slated to vote on the project design next month. Upon approval, VDOT is expected to put out its request for proposals on the project later this year. Work is planned to start in late 2020 and last until 2025. Anticipated cost of the project is $234 million.

Photo: Intersection of Route 7 and Baron Cameron Avenue. Map via Virginia Department of Transportation.

Work to rehabilitate bridges and close joints on Reston Parkway will affect drivers this weekend and next.

The bridges over the Dulles Toll Road will have the work done Friday night through Monday morning each weekend, causing delays and detours in the area. In total, the closure schedule is:

• 10 p.m. tonight through 9 a.m. Sunday: Southbound two right lanes closed
• 8 p.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Monday: Northbound two right lanes closed
• 10 p.m. Friday, April 28 through 9 a.m. Sunday, April 30: Southbound two left lanes closed
• 8 p.m. Saturday, April 29 through 3 a.m. Monday, May 1: Northbound two left lanes closed

While the northbound work is being done this weekend (8 p.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Monday), traffic traveling in that direction will not be able to make the left turn onto the westbound Dulles Toll Road. Those cars will be detoured via Sunset Hills Road and Wiehle Avenue.

The work will include bridge deck resurfacing, repair of deteriorated concrete on abutments and piers, repaving of the roadway leading up to the bridges, and joint closures. In addition, the southbound bridge will receive repairs to the concrete barrier that separates the road from a shared-use path.

All work is weather-permitting, the Virginia Department of Transportation says.

According to VDOT, the northbound bridge was built in 1959, and the southbound bridge was constructed in 1976. Both were widened in 1989, with the northbound bridge’s deck also replaced at that time.

As part of the overall project, the Monroe Street/Van Buren Street bridges and the Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride ramp bridge are also scheduled to have work done at a later date. All work is expected to be completed by summer, VDOT says.

Magazine Article Makes Case for Paid Parking at RTC — A breakdown of the paid-parking controversy at Reston Town Center that appears in the April issue of Washingtonian argues that “parking is never actually free” and that RTC “was designed so people could get there without a car.” [Washingtonian]

Fifth-Graders Debate School Issues — Students from Terraset and Forest Edge elementary schools recently worked on their speech-writing and public-speaking skills as they squared off in a debate. Topics argued during the event included school uniforms, homework and recycling. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

County Asks Residents to Report Potholes Properly — Sharing a news blast originally written last February, Fairfax County is reminding residents that they can call or use an online reporting tool to let VDOT know where potholes are in the county. [Fairfax County/Twitter]

Technology Services Company Moves to Reston — CDW has moved its D.C.-area headquarters, one of 24 offices nationwide, to Edmund Halley Drive. Among the features of the new space is a technology demonstration lab featuring the latest technologies from the company’s top partners. [CDW]

Fairfax County Republican Delegate Stepping Down — Del. Dave Albo (R-Fairfax), who has served the area in the Virginia House of Delegates since 1994, announced his retirement Wednesday on the House floor. Among his legislative contributions, Albo listed securing transportation funding for Northern Virginia, closing DUI loopholes, allowing marijuana-derived oils to be used to treat epilepsy, boosting punishments for child molesters and writing the language that banned smoking in restaurants. [Richmond.com]

After a snowless winter, it looks like Reston will finally be hit.

Forecasters are predicting several inches of snow for the area, with an outside chance of a foot or more, beginning tonight and continuing into Tuesday.

We're lowering the snow forecast a little in the immediate area. Remains a (complicated!) significant snowstorm. https://t.co/sVDps838I1 pic.twitter.com/DuzOHrDUiW

— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) March 13, 2017

The National Weather Service has placed an area including Reston under a winter storm warning that is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Monday and last through 2 p.m. Tuesday. According to the alert, their official predictions include the following:

* PRECIPITATION TYPE…Snow…possibly mixed with sleet at times
Monday night.

* ACCUMULATIONS…Snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches.

* TIMING…Snow will overspread the area Monday evening and
persist through Tuesday morning.

* IMPACTS…The heavy snow will create difficult travel
conditions and may produce scattered power outages.

* WINDS…Northeast 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* TEMPERATURES…In the lower 30s.

Simulated satellite of what's about to happen the next 2 days #noreaster #blizzard #Stella pic.twitter.com/PjFmiJ3KPQ

— Stu Ostro (@StuOstro) March 13, 2017

In preparation for the storm, the Virginia Department of Transportation began pre-treating roads Sunday. The department is encouraging drivers to adjust their schedules to be off roads before the evening rush hour Monday and overnight.

“This will help avoid being stuck on the roads when the storm begins, and to allow crews room to work more safely and efficiently,” VDOT said in a release.

In addition, VDOT asks that vehicles be parked in driveways, or that communities coordinate to all park on the same side of the road, to allow a larger path when plows begin to focus on neighborhood streets.

NEW: National Weather Service reduced their forecast from 6-8" to 4-6" in Washington, DC. We will release a new map following PM models! pic.twitter.com/h6Z1I20Mkn

— Mike Thomas (@MikeTFox5) March 13, 2017

Such a significant snowfall would also have an impact on public transportation.

Metro will suspend its MetroAccess paratransit services at 4 p.m. today, and they will remain out of service through Tuesday. In addition, Metrobus service changes are possible and will be announced based on weather conditions and forecast.

Fairfax Connector is reminding users that service may be reduced, modified or suspended, on a route-by-route basis or systemwide. Riders are encouraged to monitor schedules online or call customer service (703-339-7200) for updates.

Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation on Twitter (@VaDOTNOVA)

A number of Reston paving projects have been scheduled by the Virginia Department of Transportation for this year.

According to VDOT’s website, more than 1,300 miles of roads will be repaved in Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun and Arlington counties during the 2017 paving season. Among the scheduled projects are the following locations in Reston:

• the entire length of North Shore Drive (3.53 miles)
• the entire length of Colts Neck Road (1.82 miles), excluding the intersection with Glade Drive
• 1.93 miles of Glade Drive, from Glade Bank Way to Twin Branches Road
• 2.21 miles of Stuart Mill Road, from Fox Mill Road to Birdfoot Lane
• 1.07 miles of North Village Road, from Baron Cameron Avenue to Hollow Timber Way
• the entire length of Twin Branches Road (.85 miles)
• the entire length of Triple Crown Road (.43 miles)
• .13 miles of Wiehle Avenue, from Reston Parkway to Reston Avenue

In addition, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation has plans to make alterations to lane patterns and bike lanes on North Shore Drive, Colts Neck Road and Twin Branches Road as part of the repaving process. A community meeting on this issue is scheduled for March 16.

VDOT’s website shows the only repaving work completed in Reston in 2016 was along a stretch of Baron Cameron Avenue, from Leesburg Pike (Route 7) to near Browns Chapel Road.

Other roads in the area on the 2017 schedule include portions of Centreville Road, Frying Pan Road and McLearen Road in Herndon; and Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (U.S. Route 50) at the Fairfax County Parkway interchange.

VDOT says repaving work is “usually limited to outside of rush hours,” with work in residential areas typically scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

Check VDOT’s interactive map for more.

Map via VDOT

Virginia Department of Transportation crews are nearly done with a $1.5 million project to add sidewalks to the east side of Soapstone Drive from Glade to South Lakes Drive.

The work caps several improvements over the last few years to the increasingly traveled road. Among the additions: Going from two lanes in each direction to a wider road with one lane each way with bike lanes and turning lanes.

Another recent addition: “No parking” signs, which were installed along the new sidewalk stretch in the last few weeks. Several residents have reported getting ticketed when they left their cars on the east side of the road.

There has traditionally been parking on both sides of Soapstone, including on the gravel shoulder of the west side. The new east side was configured with a parking lane, and then a grass strip to provide a buffer so pedestrians aren’t hit with car doors while walking on the sidewalk.

John Farrell, president of Colonial Oaks Cluster, which is located off the stretch of Soapstone in question, said the signs were installed wrong and he is working with county transportation officials to correct the issue.

He said there is supposed to be some no parking areas, particularly to provide access to the Soapstone convenience center and into clusters on that stretch.

“We are determined that parking be restored on the east side,” he said. “They are not supposed to be parking within the sight lines of the shopping center and clusters, but otherwise it should be allowed on Soapstone. We don’t want people parking in our cluster [instead].”

Meanwhile, beware of the no-parking zones.

How can roads be safer and commuting be smoother in Fairfax County?

That’s what the Fairfax County Police want to know, and they are inviting all citizens to attend the Transportation Safety Summit Friday at Reston Town Center.

The Transportation Safety Summit, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be a place for police to “hear your ideas on how to help keep our commuters and residents safe, and give us feedback, comments, and suggestions,” said police spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell.

With the extension of Metro’s Silver Line, roadway expansions, and increased urbanization centers, we are facing a changing landscape in our region, says Caldwell.

FCPD will be joined by law enforcement agencies from across Northern Virginia, as well as the Virginia Department of Transportation, experts in bicycling and pedestrian safety, Drive Smart Virginia, Metro, FCPS school transportation and safety officers, and more.

Activities will be in the pavilion and on closed roads adjacent to the pavilion, says Caldwell.

Police said that between 2011-2014, there were roughly 665 collisions involving pedestrians in Fairfax County. There have been roughly 313 involving collisions with bicycles.

In Reston in the last year, there have been several serious pedestrian and bicycle accidents, including teenager who was killed after a car hit him while he was riding a motorized mini-bike at Reston Parkway and Wiehle Avenue.

Photo: DWI simulator that will be at Friday’s summit/Credit: FCPD

A pronounced bump in the road on Soapstone Drive and a similar one on South Lakes Drive have been deemed safe to the Reston Association underpasses below, Reston Association says.

Reston Now first brought this issue to readers’ attention last week. It appeared shortly after the snowstorm in Reston the first week of March, when about 8 inches of snow and freezing rain fell here.

A concerned resident called Virginia Department of Transportation, which is investigating the road issue.

But the resident was also concerned that the two south Reston road issues were directly over RA underpasses on the association’s 55 miles of pedestrian and bike trails.

RA says in a statement on its newly designed website that it has consulted with “VDOT and has determined that the tunnel under Soapstone Drive is safe despite a weather-related bump in the road above the RA pathway.”

From RA:

The pronounced nature of the bump in the road is more noticeable in winter months. The road condition is caused by settlement of the back fill on either side of the box culvert (pathway underpass) and the expansion of the soil above the underpass due to freezing.

This thinner layer of soil between the box culvert and the road surface freezes more quickly over the underpass because it is not insulated by full-depth soil. Many of the underpasses in Reston and elsewhere are impacted in a similar manner during the winter.

Because of extreme temperatures and above-average amounts of snow and ice this year, the situation on Soapstone appears worse than it has during milder winters.

Typical underpasses throughout Reston are constructed as 12-inch thick concrete boxes, designed to handle the Virginia climate as well as the traffic loads on the roads above.