Planning for Town Center Parkway underpass underway

Planning for the Town Center Parkway underpass, which would extend the parkway under the Dulles Toll Road, is officially underway.

A $1 million feasibility study complete by consulting firm Volkert has found that the project, which key to relief congestion in the area and near the Reston Town Center Metro Station, is possible.

The project is expected to cost upwards of $166.8 million, the report estimates.

“The construction of this extension is possible but there are many important steps before this can become a reality,” the report states, adding that stormwater management and coordination with Metro officials, the owners of RTC West and RTC Next, and other design constraints could make the project more challenging.

The underpass would run underneath the Dulles International Airport Access Highway and tracks laid down by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Two bridges are proposed to support eastbound and westbound traffic over the Town Center Parkway.

Two signalized intersections would also be needed at the intersections of Sunrise Valley Drive and a future road. Construction would need to be conducted in three phases.

The project extends Town Center Parkway southward from the intersection with Sunset Hills Road to the intersection with Sunrise Valley Drive. Construction of the project would take roughly three years. The study does not set forth a specific construction timeline.

“Fairfax County is pursuing funding for the Town Center Parkway Underpass project.  The schedule will not be set until funding is identified and the project is initiated,” Dan Reinhard, senior project manager with VDOT told Reston Now. 

The project was first proposed in 2012 based on a Dulles Corridor Special Study Transportation Analysis and again in the 2018 version of the county’s comprehensive plan for Reston.

The report estimated that a minimum of 255 parking spaces would be impacted by the project — resulting in property damages amounting to roughly $3.4 million. Further evaluation is needed to determine how the project would impact businesses and parking spaces.

The complete report will available online.

Image via Google Maps