Drivers should expect more traffic changes and lane shifts on Route 7 beginning today (Monday) as work on the multi-year expansion project continues.

Drivers on westbound Route 7 and nearby side streets will see major lane shifts and traffic pattern changes between Baron Cameron Avenue and Utterback Store Road.

All westbound lanes will shift south between Baron Cameron Avenue and Utterback Store Road beginning today.

Detours are also in effect until June 2021 for Great Passage Boulevard and Riva Ridge Drive. Drivers are encouraged to followed signed detour routes along Kettle Pond Lane and Amanda Drive.

The project will widen seven miles between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive, including widening the road from four to six lanes, adding 10-foot-side shared-use paths, and other intersection improvements.

The $313.9 million project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2024.

Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation

Women Robbed at Bus Stop — Three men displayed a firearm and demanded money from a woman at a bus stop on the intersection of Town Center Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue. The men ran away after the woman flagged down a passing motorist. The incident happened on April 30 at around 10:35 p.m. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Deposit Dispute at Sheraton Reston Resolved — The Fairfax Genealogical Society says that a disagreement between Sheraton Reston regarding a $13,000 deposit for an event has been resolved “in our favor.” [Fairfax Genealogical Society]

Petition: Keep Big Bowl Open — Lovers of Big Bowl, a restaurant in Reston Town Center, have launched a petition to keep the business open. The restaurant shuttered permanently last week after 19 years of business. [Change]

Free Seminar for Family Caregivers — The county is hosting a free online seminar for caregivers of older adults. The first seminar begins on Friday (May 8) and covers the topic of yoga. [Fairfax County Government]

Registration for Kindergarten Immersion Lottery Ends — The deadline to apply for Fairfax County Public Schools’ Kindergarten Immersion Lottery and Magnet School Lottery programs close today (Monday). [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

State crews are taking advantage of a major dip in traffic as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Virginia Department of Transportation is planning extended closures on several areas of Route 7 in order to fast track major improvements to the roadway.

The extended lane closures were temporarily extended due to “the significant decrease in traffic as a result of school closures, increased telework and limitations on public gatherings,” according to a statement from VDOT.

Here’s more from VDOT on what to expect through Friday, April 17:

ROUTE 7 EASTBOUND

Between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive
Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3, 8 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Left or right lane closed.

Between Baron Cameron Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive
Sunday, March 29, 10 p.m. to Monday, March 30, 5 a.m.

Friday, April 3, 8 a.m. to Saturday, April 4, 9 a.m.
Saturday, April 4, 10 p.m. to Sunday, April 5, 8 a.m.
Left lane closed. Night work hours may be subject to change based on traffic conditions. 

ROUTE 7 WESTBOUND

Between Jarrett Valley Drive and Reston Avenue
Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3, 7 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Left or right lane closed.

Between Jarrett Valley Drive and Baron Cameron Avenue
Sunday, March 29, 10 p.m. to Monday, March 30, 3 p.m.

Friday, April 3, 7 p.m. to Saturday, April 4, 9 a.m.
Saturday, April 4, 10 p.m. to Sunday, April 5, 8 a.m.
Left lane closed. Night work hours may be subject to change based on traffic conditions.

VDOT is working to improve a seven-mile stretch of Route 7 between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive. The road will be widened from four to six lanes and several intersections will be updated.

Photo via VDOT

The first of several planned improvements to the Route 7 Corridor is officially complete.

A third left-turn lane from westbound Route 7 to Baron Cameron Avenue opened to traffic on Monday (August 19) — the first of several traffic flow improvements planned between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive.

The project includes other improvements like a third lane in each direction, shared-use paths on both sides, the replacement of a bridge over Difficult Run and a pedestrian underpass to access Colvin Run Mill Park.

The complete list of planned improvements is below:

Widening the road from four lanes to six lanes

Building continuous shared-use paths along eastbound and westbound Route 7

Raising the Difficult Run bridge above flood elevation

Shared-use trail under the Difficult Run bridge with minimum height clearance of twelve feet

Adding a pedestrian underpass at Colvin Run Mill Park for enhanced park access

Shifting Route 7 lanes away from Colvin Run Mill; enlarging culvert under Carpers Farm Way

Adding noise walls with architectural treatment (where reasonable/feasible per final analysis)

Adding stormwater ponds

Replacing/relocating the existing Lewinsville Road intersection with McLean Bible Church’s eastern entrance with a new displaced-left with two coordinated signals

At Towlston Road, shifting Route 7 away from Andrey Chapel Cemetery; adding right- and left-turn lanes on southbound Towlston Road

Widening Forestville Road to add southbound left- and right-turn lanes

Adding a third left-turn lane from westbound Route 7 to southbound Baron Cameron Avenue, as well as a free-flow ramp from northbound Baron Cameron Avenue to eastbound Route 7

Improving the approach angle from Utterback Store Road to Route 7

Lengthening left- and right-turn lanes from Route 7 to many side streets along the corridor; eliminating some median crossings for safety

Building new ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps 

Officials estimate the project will be complete by 2024.

Until then, the speed limit along Route 7 has been reduced to 45 miles per house in active work zones between Reston Avenue and Delta Glen Court.

Photo via Virginia Department of Transportation

A new third left-turn lane is set to open next week from westbound Route 7 to westbound Baron Cameron Avenue.

The addition of the lane is the first of several major improvements planned for the Route 7 Corridor to improve the flow of traffic.

Construction between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive is ongoing. The project will widen the ride from four to six lanes, add shared-use paths and upgrade several intersections between Reston Avenue and Jarrett Valley Drive.

The speed limit has been reduced to 45 miles per hour in active work zones between Reston Avenue and Delta Glen Court.

Eastbound Route 7 traffic turning right onto westbound Baron Cameron Avenue must yield to oncoming traffic before merging into the through lane.

The new lane will be open to traffic on Monday (August 19).

Map via Virginia Department of Transportation

Señor Ramon Taqueria opened today (Monday) in the former location of Hibiscus Thai Cuisine (11790-A Baron Cameron Avenue).

The Mexican restaurant, which serves street-style food, will offer items like tacos, empanadas, street corn, and sliders. It is similar to other locations in Leesburg, Sterling, and Chantilly.

It will be open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. today (Monday).

The sign for the storefront will not be installed for another two weeks, a company spokesperson told Reston Now.

Photo via Señor Ramon Taqueria/Facebook

The intersection of Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue may soon get a makeover.

Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors approved today (June 4) $500,000 for preliminary engineering and feasibility studies on improving the intersection in Reston.

The county staff report said:

This improvement is designed to relieve traffic congestion on westbound Baron Cameron Avenue. The project will include a second left turn lane on westbound Baron Cameron Avenue to southbound Reston Parkway. The current total project estimate is $2,500,000.

Back in March, the Reston Transportation Service District Advisory Board OK’d using $500,000 in service district funds for the preliminary engineering and conceptual design.

The funding the Board of Supervisors approved will come from the Reston service district funds. It was part of $55 million approved today for 10 transportation projects in Tysons, Reston and Alexandria, with a bulk of the funding — $51 million — going toward Tysons-area roads.

The funding adjustments from the Tysons and Reston Transportation Service Districts and the Tysons Grid of Streets Road Fund will be made as part of the carryover review for fiscal year 2019, according to the staff report.

Image via Google Maps

Hibiscus Thai Cuisine, a sit-down restaurant located at 11790-A Baron Cameron Avenue, has closed after six years of business.

The owners did not return requests for comment from Reston Now. A closed sign was taped to the door of the business today (Thursday).

The closure was announced on Facebook last night:

We regret to inform you that Hibiscus Thai Cuisine is permanently closed. We thank you for your patronage for the past 6 years of operation. It would not have been possible without you. Our family is so grateful to have served you our recipes of the most delicious Thai food. We hope you’ll always remember your experience here at Hibiscus Thai Cuisine.

County permits do not indicate what will occupy the space once it is vacated.

Photos by Fatimah Waseem

An armed man was arrested on Thursday (March 22) after hitting  a police officer with his fist and spitting on him, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.

Police arrested Carlos Cherry, 37, at the intersection of Elm Tree Drive and Sycamore View Lane in the Herndon area around 4:15 p.m.. Police said Cherry appeared to be intoxicated. He was charged with assault on a law enforcement officer, brandishing a firearm and intoxication in public.

In a separate incident on Friday (March 23) around noon, a resident found a window broken and items from inside a home on the 12000 block of Laurel Glade Court.

On Sunday, police pursued a wanted individual from Hampton on the 13100 block of Worldgate Drive. After a chase, the suspect, Warren Wendell Maxwell, 25, was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest.

In a separate incident on Sunday, Ricardo Sanchez was charged with strangulation and attempted sexual assault. The incident occurred on the 1200 block of Bicksler Court, according to the Herndon Police Department.

FCPD also reported the following incidents:

Larcenies:

12900 block of Centre Park Circle, airbags from vehicles

2400 block of Centreville Road, cash from business

1800 block of Fountain Drive, cash from residence

12900 block of Highland Crossing Drive, license plate from vehicle

2100 block of Mager Drive, license plate from vehicle

9300 block of Monalaine Court, property from residence

11800 block of Spectrum Center, beer from business.

12100 block of Sunset Hills Road, merchandise from business

1800 block of Town Center Parkway, bag from business

Stolen vehicles:

13000 block of Park Crescent Circle, 1998 Honda Civic

Yesterday, we also reported that a Maryland man was killed over the weekend when he lost control over his car on Baron Cameron Avenue and hit a traffic signal pole. The cause of the incident remains under investigation. Alcohol was not a factor, police said.

Anyone with information about any crimes reported by FCPD should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or text “TIP187” plus the message to CRIMES(274637).

Photo via FCPD

A 23-year-old man from Maryland died Saturday morning after his car hit a traffic signal pole, according to information released by the Fairfax County Police Department today (March 26).

Police believe Johnny Nony Souvannavong of Upper Marlboro, Md. was driving his Subaru eastbound on Baron Cameron Avenue near Hunter Mill Road when his car’s tire went off into the roadway.

Souvannavong lost control of the car, which crossed over to the eastbound lanes, the center median and westbound lanes. The car then crashed into a traffic signal pole.

The driver was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The crash is still under investigation. Speed may be a factor, according to the police department’s crash reconstruction unit.

File photo

Bonita Weinstein and her husband, Lowell, took over ownership of the Reston Farm Market (10800 Baron Cameron Ave.) on Aug. 1 and immediately realized they had a lot of work to do.

“When we took on this project, I just thought ‘Yeah, we’ll get in there and we can do it quickly,'” Weinstein said. “We’ve been working on this place for a month now.”

The full renovation project at the business near Leesburg Pike is still in progress, as crews could be seen on the site Thursday morning working to set the new patio and continuing to revamp the barn’s interior. Bonita said they are getting ready for a “soft opening” Tuesday, with a grand-opening celebration scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23.

A website that celebrates the “original” Reston Farm Market gives some information about its history. It opened in 1976 and was under the guidance of its founder, Hall Kern, through 1997. It has been owned by several different people since, Weinstein said, and she and her husband are hopeful they will usher in its return to prominence.

“In recent years, the reviews weren’t so great,” she said. “It was run down, but my husband said, ‘We can make it nice [again].'”

The Weinsteins are owners of Seasonal Celebrations garden centers. They have nine locations in the region, including in the Fox Mill and Sugarland Crossing shopping plazas. Bonita said they have high hopes of bringing the success they’ve had with those stores to the Farm Market.

“When people come here, they’re going to be shocked that it’s totally different,” Weinstein said. “We’ve put a lot of money into revamping this place.”

The renovated market will sell fresh produce from local farmers, pies, dairy products, garden supplies and more. Fall decorating supplies including pumpkins and gourds will be available, as will mums and firewood. Christmas trees will be sold when the season arrives.

Kids’ favorites including train rides, moon bounces and an expanded petting zoo will also be on the premises. Parking for the property has been expanded, Weinstein said, and Hoggmeister BBQ will provide a food truck on the weekends.

“This place is going to be totally different from what it has ever been,” she said. “I think this place is going to be extraordinary, I really do.”

The grand-opening event Sept. 23 will include a DJ, face painting and more. Food trucks will provide items for purchase, including ice cream, Weinstein said.

The Reston Farm Market is scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day beginning Tuesday. Weinstein said it will be open through December, and will reopen in March for the spring season.

For more information, call 703-759-0000.

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