For commuters in Northern Virginia, some bottlenecks are more predictable than others. Work is set to begin this spring to relieve a twice-a-day chokepoint.
In the next few months, Virginia Department of Transportation plans to begin construction to widen 1.5 miles of U.S. Route 29 — also known as Lee Highway — from four lanes to six, between Union Mill Road and Buckleys Gate Drive.
According to VDOT, approximately 30,000 vehicles a day travel the congested stretch of state roadway.
The project aims to relieve major morning and afternoon and evening peak hour backups on Route 29 at the intersection of Stringfellow and Clifton Roads.
In addition, the project will improve sight distance, and add shared-use paths on both sides of Route 29, which will also help connect pedestrian and bicycle trails at the Fairfax County Parkway and West Ox Road interchange.
This project is financed with federal, state (including Smart Scale) and local funding and the Interstate 66 concession fee. Its estimated costs total $97 million.