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Coordinates: 38°47′28″N 77°20′00″W / 38.7912°N 77.3334°W / 38.7912; -77.3334
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|length_ref=<ref>[[Virginia Department of Transportation]], [http://web.archive.org/web/20071113235618/http://www.virginiadot.org/news/newsrelease.asp?ID=NOVA-NV04-11 Transportation Board Approves Fairfax County Parkway Plans Final Segment of 35-mile parkway], March 22, 2004</ref>
|length_ref=<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20071113235618/http://www.virginiadot.org/news/newsrelease.asp?ID=NOVA-NV04-11 |title=Transportation Board Approves Fairfax County Parkway Plans Final Segment of 35-mile parkway] |date=March 22, 2004 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref>
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==Route description==
==Route description==
The Fairfax County Parkway and its branch to Franconia generally have [[interchange (road)|interchange]]s at major roads and [[traffic signal]]s at less major roads. Along the main parkway (SR 286), there are 17 full or partial interchanges and 39 signals, with eleven of those signals at interchanges; the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289) has five interchanges and only three signals. In addition, there are many unsignalized intersections along the road, but none of these are [[driveway]]s, since the road is [[limited-access]].<ref name=Google>[[Google Maps]] street maps and satellite imagery, accessed October 2007</ref> The road generally has a [[speed limit]] of {{convert|50|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>Glenn McCarty, [[Burke Connection]], [http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?archive=true&article=38479&paper=61&cat=104 Removing Speed from the 'Speedway']{{dead link|date=April 2012}}, October 14, 2004</ref><!--mention NHS or not? it doesn't seem very relevant-->
The Fairfax County Parkway and its branch to Franconia generally have [[interchange (road)|interchange]]s at major roads and [[traffic signal]]s at less major roads. Along the main parkway (SR 286), there are 17 full or partial interchanges and 39 signals, with eleven of those signals at interchanges; the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289) has five interchanges and only three signals. In addition, there are many unsignalized intersections along the road, but none of these are [[driveway]]s, since the road is [[limited-access]].<ref name=Google>[[Google Maps]] street maps and satellite imagery, accessed October 2007</ref> The road generally has a [[speed limit]] of {{convert|50|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news |first=Glenn |lat=McCarty |publisher=Burke Connection |url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?archive=true&article=38479&paper=61&cat=104 |title=Removing Speed from the 'Speedway'|date=October 14, 2005]}}{{dead link|date=April 2012}}</ref><!--mention NHS or not? it doesn't seem very relevant-->


The south end of SR 286 begins at an intersection with [[US 1 (VA)|US 1]] at [[Accotink, Virginia|Accotink]] and heads northwest through [[Fort Belvoir]], leaving the fort at a [[diamond interchange]] with Telegraph Road ([[Virginia State Route 611 (Fairfax County)|SR 611]]), crossing [[I-95 (VA)|1-95]] at a full [[cloverleaf interchange|cloverleaf]] (exit 166), crossing over Fullerton Road, passing through interchanges with Boudinot Drive and Barta Road, and turning west through West Springfield at Rolling Road. This portion replaced the existing Backlick Road ([[Virginia State Route 617 (Fairfax County)|SR 617]]), which continues north from the I-95 interchange and connects to the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289). During most of the parkway's life, the portion between Fullerton Road and SR 289 had not been constructed due to delay caused by [[environmental issues]], including an [[oil spill]] along its path through the Fort Belvoir Proving Ground. Since approval in 2008, construction began in 2009 and the new portion was opened in late 2010.<ref name=Google/><ref name=oil/>
The south end of SR 286 begins at an intersection with [[US 1 (VA)|US 1]] at [[Accotink, Virginia|Accotink]] and heads northwest through [[Fort Belvoir]], leaving the fort at a [[diamond interchange]] with Telegraph Road ([[Virginia State Route 611 (Fairfax County)|SR 611]]), crossing [[I-95 (VA)|1-95]] at a full [[cloverleaf interchange|cloverleaf]] (exit 166), crossing over Fullerton Road, passing through interchanges with Boudinot Drive and Barta Road, and turning west through West Springfield at Rolling Road. This portion replaced the existing Backlick Road ([[Virginia State Route 617 (Fairfax County)|SR 617]]), which continues north from the I-95 interchange and connects to the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289). During most of the parkway's life, the portion between Fullerton Road and SR 289 had not been constructed due to delay caused by [[environmental issues]], including an [[oil spill]] along its path through the Fort Belvoir Proving Ground. Since approval in 2008, construction began in 2009 and the new portion was opened in late 2010.<ref name=Google/><ref name=oil/>
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[[Image:Ffx Co. Pkwy - towards the end.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Another view of the Parkway]]
[[Image:Ffx Co. Pkwy - towards the end.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Another view of the Parkway]]


SR 286 is also known as the '''John F. (Jack) Herrity Parkway''', designated by the [[Virginia General Assembly]] in 1995,<ref>[http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?951+ful+CHAP0183 Chapter 183, S. 812], approved March 14, 1995</ref> and the '''Trooper Charles Mark Cosslett Memorial Highway''', designated in 2010 as the final link through [[Fort Belvoir]].<ref>[http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/traffic/fairfax-county-parkway-extension-to-open-091310 myfoxdc.com], accessed 15 November 2010</ref> In 2001 SR 289 was named the '''Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr., Parkway'''.<ref>[http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?011+ful+CHAP0734 Chapter 734, S. 291], approved March 26, 2001</ref> [[Jack Herrity]] served for 12 years on the [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]], and was instrumental in getting the road built;<ref>[[Washington Post]], Dying for Recognition, February 9, 1995, p. V3</ref> [[Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr.]] was a [[Senate of Virginia|state senator]] who served Fairfax County for 28 years.<ref>[[Washington Post]], United Region Puts Schools, Roads on Top of Wish List, January 3, 2001, p. T1</ref><ref>[[Washington Post]], After 28 Years, Va. Lawmaker Calling It Quits, February 20, 1999, p. B1</ref> These names are ceremonial, and are rarely used by the public.<ref>John Kelly, [[Washington Post]], Honored in All but Name, April 21, 2005, p. T10</ref>
SR 286 is also known as the '''John F. (Jack) Herrity Parkway''', designated by the [[Virginia General Assembly]] in 1995,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?951+ful+CHAP0183 |title=Chapter 183, S. 812 |date=March 14, 1995 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref> and the '''Trooper Charles Mark Cosslett Memorial Highway''', designated in 2010 as the final link through [[Fort Belvoir]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/traffic/fairfax-county-parkway-extension-to-open-091310 |publisher=myfoxdc.com |accessdate=November 15, 2010}}</ref> In 2001 SR 289 was named the '''Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr., Parkway'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?011+ful+CHAP0734 |title=Chapter 734, S. 291 |date=March 26, 2001 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref> [[Jack Herrity]] served for 12 years on the [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]], and was instrumental in getting the road built;<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Dying for Recognition |date=February 9, 1995 |page=V3}}</ref> [[Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr.]] was a [[Senate of Virginia|state senator]] who served Fairfax County for 28 years.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=United Region Puts Schools, Roads on Top of Wish List |date=January 3, 2001 |page=T1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=After 28 Years, Va. Lawmaker Calling It Quits |date=February 20, 1999 |page=B1}}</ref> These names are ceremonial, and are rarely used by the public.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Kelly, |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Honored in All but Name |date=April 21, 2005 |page=T10}}</ref>


The '''Fairfax County Parkway Trail''' is a [[multi-use trail]] that runs alongside the Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway from Beulah Street in Springfield to SR 7,<ref>[[Fairfax County]], [http://web.archive.org/web/20060928073022/http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill/pressreleases/pr18oct02.html Fairfax County Parkway Trail Ribbon Cutting Set For October 24, 2:30 p.m.], Hunter Mill District Press Release, October 18, 2002</ref> mostly as a [[sidepath]], but sometimes using adjacent [[frontage road]]s and old alignments of the roads that the parkway replaced.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} It intersects the [[Washington and Old Dominion Trail]] north of Sunset Hills Road at [[Herndon, VA|Herndon]], near that trail's mile 19.<ref>Friends of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail: [http://www.wodfriends.org/map10.html Map of the W&OD, Herndon - Reston (mileage markers 17.5 to 20)], accessed August 1, 2007</ref>
The '''Fairfax County Parkway Trail''' is a [[multi-use trail]] that runs alongside the Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway from Beulah Street in Springfield to SR 7,<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=[[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]] |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060928073022/http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill/pressreleases/pr18oct02.html |archivedate=September 28, 2006|url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill/pressreleases/pr18oct02.html |title=Fairfax County Parkway Trail Ribbon Cutting Set For October 24, 2:30 p.m. |date=October 18, 2002 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref> mostly as a [[sidepath]], but sometimes using adjacent [[frontage road]]s and old alignments of the roads that the parkway replaced.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} It intersects the [[Washington and Old Dominion Trail]] north of Sunset Hills Road at [[Herndon, VA|Herndon]], near that trail's mile 19.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Friends of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail |url=http://www.wodfriends.org/map10.html |title=Map of the W&OD, Herndon - Reston (mileage markers 17.5 to 20)] |accessedate=August 1, 2007}}</ref>


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==History==
==History==
===Planning===
===Planning===
The [[Outer Beltway (Washington, D.C.)|Outer Beltway]] was first planned in 1950 as the "Cross Country Loop", part of the [[National Capital Planning Commission]]'s comprehensive plan.<ref name=WTC>[[Virginia Department of Transportation]], [http://web.archive.org/web/20040822185053/http://virginiadot.org/projects/study-wtc-mis-purpose5.asp Western Transportation Corridor Study Purpose and Need Statement], archived from August 22, 2004</ref> In Virginia, by the time of a 1965 plan,<!--http://web.archive.org/web/20070926231508/http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/006562.pdf page 14 shows an earlier plan in Prince William County to the south--> it was to run through southern and western Fairfax County, crossing the [[Potomac River]] at [[Mason Neck]] and north of [[Great Falls, Virginia|Great Falls]], and passing generally west of [[State Route 123 (Virginia)|State Route 123]] (Ox Road) and east of [[Virginia State Route 645 (Fairfax County)|SR 645]] (Clifton Road, Stringfellow Road, and Lees Corner Road). The straight part of the Fairfax County Parkway between south of Franklin Farm Road and north of Baron Cameron Road is built where the beltway would have been.<ref>[[Virginia Department of Highways]], Northern Virginia Regional Plan, 1965 (partly reproduced on page 15 of [http://web.archive.org/web/20070926231508/http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/006562.pdf this presentation])</ref><ref>[[Virginia Department of Highways]], Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan, 1969</ref> During the 1970s, attention was focused on the Metrorail system, and [[environmental concern]]s temporarily pushed the Outer Beltway onto the back burner. In the 1980s and 1990s, when the plan was revived as the [[Western Transportation Corridor]], the route was shifted further west.<ref name=WTC/><!--when did VDOT buy ROW?-->
The [[Outer Beltway (Washington, D.C.)|Outer Beltway]] was first planned in 1950 as the "Cross Country Loop", part of the [[National Capital Planning Commission]]'s comprehensive plan.<ref name=WTC>{{cite web |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040822185053/http://virginiadot.org/projects/study-wtc-mis-purpose5.asp |url=http://virginiadot.org/projects/study-wtc-mis-purpose5.asp |title=Western Transportation Corridor Study Purpose and Need Statement |archivedate=August 22, 2004 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref> In Virginia, by the time of a 1965 plan,<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070926231508/http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/006562.pdf |archivedate=September 26, 2007 |url=http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/006562.pdf |title=Review of Transportation Guidance in Previous Comprehensive Plans |format=PDF |page=14 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}} shows an earlier plan in Prince William County to the south</ref> it was to run through southern and western Fairfax County, crossing the [[Potomac River]] at [[Mason Neck]] and north of [[Great Falls, Virginia|Great Falls]], and passing generally west of [[State Route 123 (Virginia)|State Route 123]] (Ox Road) and east of [[Virginia State Route 645 (Fairfax County)|SR 645]] (Clifton Road, Stringfellow Road, and Lees Corner Road). The straight part of the Fairfax County Parkway between south of Franklin Farm Road and north of Baron Cameron Road is built where the beltway would have been.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation|Virginia Department of Highways]] |title=Northern Virginia Regional Plan |year=1965 |page=15 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070926231508/http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/006562.pdf |url=http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/006562.pdf |format=PDF |archivedate=September 26, 2007 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite paper |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation|Virginia Department of Highways]] |title=Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan |year=1969}}</ref> During the 1970s, attention was focused on the Metrorail system, and [[environmental concern]]s temporarily pushed the Outer Beltway onto the back burner. In the 1980s and 1990s, when the plan was revived as the [[Western Transportation Corridor]], the route was shifted further west.<ref name=WTC/><!--when did VDOT buy ROW?-->


The idea for the '''Springfield Bypass''' started in the 1970s as a bypass of [[Virginia State Route 644 (Fairfax County)|SR 644]] (Old Keene Mill Road) in [[Springfield, VA|Springfield]]. It was soon expanded, by 1978, to include most of what had been planned as the Outer Beltway.<ref name=referendums/><ref>Thomas Grubisich, [[Washington Post]], Bypass in Fairfax Still Long Way Off, February 6, 1978, p. C4</ref> The [[Commonwealth Transportation Board]] approved final plans on July 16, 1987 for the {{convert|33|mi|adj=on}} road, with 16 interchanges and 35 traffic signals between [[U.S. Route 1 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 1]] at [[Fort Belvoir, VA|Fort Belvoir]] and [[State Route 7 (Virginia)|State Route 7]] near [[Dranesville, Virginia|Dranesville]]. A spur to [[Franconia, VA|Franconia]] was included, providing access to the [[Shirley Highway]] [[HOV lane]]s and the [[Franconia-Springfield (Metro)|Franconia-Springfield]] Metrorail station. Except for a short six-lane piece in [[Reston, VA|Reston]], the $242 million plan included only four lanes.<ref name=approval>[[Washington Post]], Springfield Bypass Near Approval, July 16, 1987, p. C9</ref><ref>[[Washington Post]], State Rebuffs N. Virginia On Rte. 28 Rail Line, July 17, 1987, p. C3</ref> Since it was a surface road, the highway could incorporate existing roads. This included portions of [[Virginia State Route 617 (Fairfax County)|SR 617]] (Backlick Road), SR 636 (Hooes Road), SR 641 (Pohick Road), and SR 680 (Stuart Road).
The idea for the '''Springfield Bypass''' started in the 1970s as a bypass of [[Virginia State Route 644 (Fairfax County)|SR 644]] (Old Keene Mill Road) in [[Springfield, VA|Springfield]]. It was soon expanded, by 1978, to include most of what had been planned as the Outer Beltway.<ref name=referendums/><ref>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Grubisich, |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Bypass in Fairfax Still Long Way Off, |date=February 6, 1978 |page=C4}}</ref> The [[Commonwealth Transportation Board]] approved final plans on July 16, 1987 for the {{convert|33|mi|adj=on}} road, with 16 interchanges and 35 traffic signals between [[U.S. Route 1 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 1]] at [[Fort Belvoir, VA|Fort Belvoir]] and [[State Route 7 (Virginia)|State Route 7]] near [[Dranesville, Virginia|Dranesville]]. A spur to [[Franconia, VA|Franconia]] was included, providing access to the [[Shirley Highway]] [[HOV lane]]s and the [[Franconia-Springfield (Metro)|Franconia-Springfield]] Metrorail station. Except for a short six-lane piece in [[Reston, VA|Reston]], the $242 million plan included only four lanes.<ref name=approval>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Springfield Bypass Near Approval |date=July 16, 1987 |page=C9}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=State Rebuffs N. Virginia On Rte. 28 Rail Line |date=July 17, 1987 |page=C3}}</ref> Since it was a surface road, the highway could incorporate existing roads. This included portions of [[Virginia State Route 617 (Fairfax County)|SR 617]] (Backlick Road), SR 636 (Hooes Road), SR 641 (Pohick Road), and SR 680 (Stuart Road).


55 homes and five businesses had to be taken by [[eminent domain]] to build the road.<ref name=approval/> Included in these 55 homes were five at the brand-new Innisfree subdivision in [[Springfield, VA|Springfield]]. Only months after families moved into the houses, located between SR 636 (Hooes Road) and the proposed highway, they were informed that their land would be needed for the interchange at SR 640 (Sydenstricker Road). Originally planned as an at-grade intersection, projections of increased traffic led to a redesign that required more [[right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]].<ref>John Lancaster, [[Washington Post]], Houses Stand In Road's Path, June 1, 1987, p. D1</ref>
55 homes and five businesses had to be taken by [[eminent domain]] to build the road.<ref name=approval/> Included in these 55 homes were five at the brand-new Innisfree subdivision in [[Springfield, VA|Springfield]]. Only months after families moved into the houses, located between SR 636 (Hooes Road) and the proposed highway, they were informed that their land would be needed for the interchange at SR 640 (Sydenstricker Road). Originally planned as an at-grade intersection, projections of increased traffic led to a redesign that required more [[right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]].<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Lancaster |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Houses Stand In Road's Path |date=June 1, 1987 |page=D1}}</ref>


The [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]] changed the name to the '''Fairfax County Parkway''' on June 23, 1988, noting that it traveled far from Springfield. The Franconia Spur was not renamed to the suggested Springfield Parkway at that time, to give time to find a single name for the entire spur, already known as Kingstowne Boulevard at its east end.<ref>[[Washington Post]], Government Actions, June 23, 1988, p. V4</ref> By the next year, the permanent '''Franconia-Springfield Parkway''' name had been applied to the portion west of [[Virginia State Route 613 (Fairfax County)|State Route 613]] (Beulah Street); the rest of the road was not built as part of the project, and now carries the Manchester Boulevard and Kingstowne Boulevard names.<ref>[[Washington Post]], Guaranty Bank Comes to Maryland, May 15, 1989, p. F11</ref>
The [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]] changed the name to the '''Fairfax County Parkway''' on June 23, 1988, noting that it traveled far from Springfield. The Franconia Spur was not renamed to the suggested Springfield Parkway at that time, to give time to find a single name for the entire spur, already known as Kingstowne Boulevard at its east end.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Government Actions, |date=June 23, 1988 |page=V4}}</ref> By the next year, the permanent '''Franconia-Springfield Parkway''' name had been applied to the portion west of [[Virginia State Route 613 (Fairfax County)|State Route 613]] (Beulah Street); the rest of the road was not built as part of the project, and now carries the Manchester Boulevard and Kingstowne Boulevard names.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Guaranty Bank Comes to Maryland |date=May 15, 1989 |page=F11}}</ref>


===Construction===
===Construction===
;I-66 to Herndon (1987–1993)
;I-66 to Herndon (1987–1993)
Three [[bond issue]]s were approved by Fairfax County voters to pay for construction of the highway, as well as other roads in the county: $135 million in November 1985,<ref>[[Washington Post]], Road Bonds Approved, November 6, 1985, p. A17</ref> $150 million in April 1988,<ref>John Ward Anderson, [[Washington Post]], Fairfax Road Bonds Pass in Landslide, April 13, 1988, p. D1</ref> and $130 million in November 1992.<ref name=referendums>[[Washington Post]], Virginia Referendums - No and Yes, October 31, 1992, p. A22</ref><ref>Peter Baker, [[Washington Post]], Byrne Is First Woman From Va. in Congress, November 4, 1992</ref> The first portions of the road to open were financed by [[real-estate developer|developer]]s building in the area: the [[Cavalier Land Development Corporation]] from a new interchange on [[Interstate 66 (Virginia)|Interstate 66]] north to [[U.S. Route 50 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 50]], and the [[Hazel/Peterson Companies]] from Stringfellow Road north to Franklin Farm Road, both completed in 1987.<ref name=monikers/><!--any details?--><ref>[[Washington Post]], Parkway, November 4, 1988, p. E1</ref> On October 24, 1989, the gap from US 50 to Stringfellow Road was filled, and the road was extended from Franklin Farm Road north to West Ox Road (SR 608).<ref>[[Washington Post]], Fairfax Parkway Segment Opens, October 25, 1989, p. D5</ref> It was further extended north to a new interchange on the [[Dulles Toll Road]] (SR 267) on October 22, 1991,<ref>[[Washington Post]], Fairfax Parkway Stretch to Debut, October 17, 1991, p. V1</ref> and north to Sunset Hills Road (SR 675) on July 7, 1993.<ref>Michael D. Shear, [[Washington Post]], New Parkway Section to Open, July 1, 1993, p. V2</ref>
Three [[bond issue]]s were approved by Fairfax County voters to pay for construction of the highway, as well as other roads in the county: $135 million in November 1985,<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Road Bonds Approved |date=November 6, 1985 |page=A17}}</ref> $150 million in April 1988,<ref>{{cite news |first=John Ward |last=Anderson |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Fairfax Road Bonds Pass in Landslide |date=April 13, 1988 |page=D1}}</ref> and $130 million in November 1992.<ref name=referendums>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Virginia Referendums - No and Yes |date=October 31, 1992 |page=A22}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Baker |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Byrne Is First Woman From Va. in Congress |date=November 4, 1992}}</ref> The first portions of the road to open were financed by [[real-estate developer|developer]]s building in the area: the [[Cavalier Land Development Corporation]] from a new interchange on [[Interstate 66 (Virginia)|Interstate 66]] north to [[U.S. Route 50 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 50]], and the [[Hazel/Peterson Companies]] from Stringfellow Road north to Franklin Farm Road, both completed in 1987.<ref name=monikers/><!--any details?--><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Parkway |date=November 4, 1988 |page=E1}}</ref> On October 24, 1989, the gap from US 50 to Stringfellow Road was filled, and the road was extended from Franklin Farm Road north to West Ox Road (SR 608).<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Fairfax Parkway Segment Opens |date=October 25, 1989 |page=D5}}</ref> It was further extended north to a new interchange on the [[Dulles Toll Road]] (SR 267) on October 22, 1991,<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Fairfax Parkway Stretch to Debut |date=October 17, 1991 |page=V1}}</ref> and north to Sunset Hills Road (SR 675) on July 7, 1993.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael D. |last=Shear |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=New Parkway Section to Open |date=July 1, 1993 |page=V2}}</ref>


;Franconia-Springfield Parkway (1989–1995)
;Franconia-Springfield Parkway (1989–1995)
The first piece of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway, a short bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Rolling Road (SR 638) east over [[Accotink Creek]] to near Lackawanna Drive, opened on August 7, 1989.<ref name=monikers>Steve Bates, [[Washington Post]], New Fairfax Road Has More Monikers Than Miles, August 8, 1989, page D3</ref> The rest of this spur to Beulah Street (SR 613) in Franconia opened on June 8, 1992, along with the [[reversible roadway|reversible]] [[HOV]] ramps to the [[Shirley Highway]] ([[I-95 (VA)|I-95]]/[[I-395 (VA)|I-395]]).<ref>Stephen C. Fehr, [[Washington Post]], Bridge Set to Ease Springfield Traffic, June 7, 1992, p. B7</ref> (The [[Franconia-Springfield]] station did not open for [[Virginia Railway Express]] and Metrorail trains until four and five years later, respectively;<ref>Leef Smith, [[Washington Post]], VRE Adds A Pearl to Its String, July 18, 1996, p. V2</ref><ref>Marylou Tousignant, [[Washington Post]], At Last, Metro Reaches End of the Blue Line, June 27, 1997, p. B1</ref> the interchange at Frontier Drive serving the station opened in December 1995).<ref name=interchanges/>
The first piece of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway, a short bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Rolling Road (SR 638) east over [[Accotink Creek]] to near Lackawanna Drive, opened on August 7, 1989.<ref name=monikers>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Bates |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=New Fairfax Road Has More Monikers Than Miles |date=August 8, 1989 |page=D3}}</ref> The rest of this spur to Beulah Street (SR 613) in Franconia opened on June 8, 1992, along with the [[reversible roadway|reversible]] [[HOV]] ramps to the [[Shirley Highway]] ([[I-95 (VA)|I-95]]/[[I-395 (VA)|I-395]]).<ref>{{cite news |first=Stephen C. |last=Fehr |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Bridge Set to Ease Springfield Traffic |date=June 7, 1992 |page=B7}}</ref> (The [[Franconia-Springfield]] station did not open for [[Virginia Railway Express]] and Metrorail trains until four and five years later, respectively;<ref>{{cite news |first=Leef |last=Smith |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=VRE Adds A Pearl to Its String |date=July 18, 1996 |page=V2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Marylou |last=Tousignant |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=At Last, Metro Reaches End of the Blue Line |date=June 27, 1997 |page=B1}}</ref> the interchange at Frontier Drive serving the station opened in December 1995).<ref name=interchanges/>


;Springfield to I-66 (1993–1996)
;Springfield to I-66 (1993–1996)
The next pieces of the road to open were in the southwest, with an upgrade and bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Pohick Road (SR 641) east to Rolling Road (SR 638) and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway opening by November 1993.<!--any details?--><ref>[[Fairfax County]], [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/summary/1993/93-11-22.htm Final Board Summary], November 22, 1993: notes problems with cut-through traffic due to the forced right turn from northbound Pohick Road onto the parkway</ref> The highway from Ox Road (SR 123) north to Braddock Road (SR 620) opened on July 28, 1995,<ref>Robert O'Harrow Jr., [[Washington Post]], Accessibility Grows With County Road, July 27, 1995, p. V1</ref> and was connected to the existing portion at I-66 on September 19.<ref>[[Fairfax County]], [http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/summary/1995/95-09-11.htm Final Board Summary], September 11, 1995</ref> Two interchanges along this portion and the older one to the north - at US 50 and at [[US 29 (VA)|US 29]] - opened on December 14 and December 20 respectively.<ref name=interchanges>Alice Reid, [[Washington Post]], 3 Interchanges Opening Along Fairfax Parkway, December 12, 1995, p. E3</ref> From SR 123 southeast to the beginning of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway, existing two-lane roads were widened, opening the road from SR 123 east to Lee Chapel Road (SR 643) by May 1996<!--any details?--><ref name=progress>[[Washington Post]], Progress On Fairfax Parkway, May 23, 1996, p. J1</ref> and to Pohick Road (SR 641) on July 2, 1996,<ref>M. Cherie Black, [[Washington Times]], Missing Link Opens in Fairfax Parkway, July 3, 1996, p. C7</ref> completing the road from Springfield to Herndon. However, until a new bridge opened in early September 2002, traffic on Pohick Road northbound (just east of Hooes Road) was required to turn right onto the parkway.<ref>[[Washington Post]], Metro; In Brief, August 31, 2002, p. B3</ref>
The next pieces of the road to open were in the southwest, with an upgrade and bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Pohick Road (SR 641) east to Rolling Road (SR 638) and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway opening by November 1993.<!--any details?--><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]] |url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/summary/1993/93-11-22.htm |title=Final Board Summary |date=November 22, 1993}} notes problems with cut-through traffic due to the forced right turn from northbound Pohick Road onto the parkway</ref> The highway from Ox Road (SR 123) north to Braddock Road (SR 620) opened on July 28, 1995,<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=O'Harrow Jr. |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Accessibility Grows With County Road |date=July 27, 1995 |page=V1}}</ref> and was connected to the existing portion at I-66 on September 19.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]] |url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/summary/1995/95-09-11.htm |title=Final Board Summary |date=September 11, 1995}}</ref> Two interchanges along this portion and the older one to the north - at US 50 and at [[US 29 (VA)|US 29]] - opened on December 14 and December 20 respectively.<ref name=interchanges>{{cite news |first=Alice |last=Reid |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=3 Interchanges Opening Along Fairfax Parkway |date=December 12, 1995 |page=E3}}</ref> From SR 123 southeast to the beginning of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway, existing two-lane roads were widened, opening the road from SR 123 east to Lee Chapel Road (SR 643) by May 1996<!--any details?--><ref name=progress>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Progress On Fairfax Parkway |date=May 23, 1996 |page=J1}}</ref> and to Pohick Road (SR 641) on July 2, 1996,<ref>{{cite news |first=M. Cherie |last=Black |publisher=[[The Washington Times]] |title=Missing Link Opens in Fairfax Parkway |date=July 3, 1996 |page=C7}}</ref> completing the road from Springfield to Herndon. However, until a new bridge opened in early September 2002, traffic on Pohick Road northbound (just east of Hooes Road) was required to turn right onto the parkway.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Metro; In Brief |date=August 31, 2002 |page=B3}}</ref>


;US 1 to I-95 (1997) and Herndon to SR 7 (1999–2001)
;US 1 to I-95 (1997) and Herndon to SR 7 (1999–2001)
The southernmost portion, from [[US 1 (VA)|US 1]] north across [[I-95 (VA)|I-95]] to Fullerton Road, mostly an upgrade of Backlick Road (SR 617), opened south of Telegraph Road (SR 611) by July 1997<!--any details?--><ref>[[Washington Post]], Where There's a Will..., July 23, 1997, p. V1</ref> and north of Telegraph Road later that year.<!--any details?--><ref name=Millennium>Alan Sipress, [[Washington Post]], Last Part of Fairfax Parkway to Open in Next Millennium, October 14, 1998, p. V29</ref> The first part north of Sunset Hills Road (SR 675), a short piece from the new interchange with [[SR 7 (VA)|SR 7]] south to Sugarland Road (SR 604), opened by June 1999.<!--any details?--><ref>[[Washington Post]], Directly to Dulles for Smoother Sailing, June 10, 1999, p. V1</ref> Extensions opened south to Wiehle Avenue (SR 828) on November 1, 2000<ref>[[Washington Post]], Metro In Brief, October 31, 2000, p. B3</ref> and Baron Cameron Avenue (SR 606) on December 21, 2000.<ref>[[Washington Post]], Metro In Brief, December 21, 2000, p. B3</ref> The gap was filled on November 5, 2001, finally completing the parkway north of Springfield.<ref>[[Virginia Department of Transportation]], [http://web.archive.org/web/20071113235400/http://www.virginiadot.org/news/newsrelease.asp?ID=NOVA-NV03-25 Fairfax County Parkway Earns Top Quality Award], April 1, 2003</ref>
The southernmost portion, from [[US 1 (VA)|US 1]] north across [[I-95 (VA)|I-95]] to Fullerton Road, mostly an upgrade of Backlick Road (SR 617), opened south of Telegraph Road (SR 611) by July 1997<!--any details?--><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Where There's a Will... |date=July 23, 1997 |page=V1}}</ref> and north of Telegraph Road later that year.<!--any details?--><ref name=Millennium>{{cite news |first=Alan |last=Sipress |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Last Part of Fairfax Parkway to Open in Next Millennium |date=October 14, 1998 |page=V29}}</ref> The first part north of Sunset Hills Road (SR 675), a short piece from the new interchange with [[SR 7 (VA)|SR 7]] south to Sugarland Road (SR 604), opened by June 1999.<!--any details?--><ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Directly to Dulles for Smoother Sailing |date=June 10, 1999 |page=V1</ref> Extensions opened south to Wiehle Avenue (SR 828) on November 1, 2000<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Metro In Brief |date=October 31, 2000 |page=B3}}</ref> and Baron Cameron Avenue (SR 606) on December 21, 2000.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[The Washington Post]]|title=Metro In Brief |date=December 21, 2000 |page=B3}}</ref> The gap was filled on November 5, 2001, finally completing the parkway north of Springfield.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]]|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071113235400/http://www.virginiadot.org/news/newsrelease.asp?ID=NOVA-NV03-25 |archivedate=November 13, 2007 |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/news/newsrelease.asp?ID=NOVA-NV03-25 |title=Fairfax County Parkway Earns Top Quality Award |date=April 1, 2003 |accessdate=April 5, 2012}}</ref>


;I-95 to Springfield
;I-95 to Springfield
Construction has been delayed many times on the last segment, between Fullerton Road (just north of I-95) and Rolling Road (SR 638), which will allow traffic on the main part of the parkway to connect directly to the I-95 main lanes. Plans were made here in the late 1980s, and it was to be paid for by a developer who was to build a development on land bought from the [[U.S. Army]]'s [[Fort Belvoir]]. But those plans fell through, and traffic growth necessitated a redesign.<ref name="progress"/><ref name="Millennium"/> Plans were again postponed in the early 2000s due to necessary [[environmental cleanup]] of that part of Fort Belvoir, which included [[unexploded ordnance]].<ref>Timothy Dwyer, [[Washington Post]], Parkway Completion Approved, January 29, 2004, p. T3</ref> The [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] discovered in 2005 that an [[oil spill]] on the property had not been properly cleaned.<ref name=oil>Lisa Rein, [[Washington Post]], Completion of Parkway is Stalled by Old Spill, September 29, 2005, p. T3</ref> {{As of|2007}}, the project had been designed as a full [[freeway]] but was placed on hold.<ref>[[Virginia Department of Transportation]], [http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/const-project.asp?ID=62 Fairfax County Parkway Extension]{{dead link|date=April 2012}}, accessed July 31, 2007</ref> As of September 2010, this portion of the parkway opened for traffic, closing the gap that once existed.<ref>[http://www.fairfaxcountyparkway.org/schedule.aspx fairfaxcountyparkway.org], Retrieved 15 november 2010</ref> Until Phase III of this extension is completed, drivers on southbound SR 286 must exit at Rolling Road to stay on the parkway southbound and likewise for northbound traffic. Phase III will reconstruct the Rolling Road interchange, turning the Fairfax County Parkway south (along Rolling Rd.), and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway will become a spur.<ref>[http://www.fcparkway.com/ fcparkway], Retrieved 15 November 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.fairfaxcountyparkway.org/ Fairfax County Parkway Design-Build Project] Retrieved 28 May 2009</ref>
Construction has been delayed many times on the last segment, between Fullerton Road (just north of I-95) and Rolling Road (SR 638), which will allow traffic on the main part of the parkway to connect directly to the I-95 main lanes. Plans were made here in the late 1980s, and it was to be paid for by a developer who was to build a development on land bought from the [[U.S. Army]]'s [[Fort Belvoir]]. But those plans fell through, and traffic growth necessitated a redesign.<ref name="progress"/><ref name="Millennium"/> Plans were again postponed in the early 2000s due to necessary [[environmental cleanup]] of that part of Fort Belvoir, which included [[unexploded ordnance]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Timothy |last=Dwyer |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Parkway Completion Approved |date=January 29, 2004 |page=T3}}</ref> The [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] discovered in 2005 that an [[oil spill]] on the property had not been properly cleaned.<ref name=oil>{{cite news |first=Lisa |last=Rein |publisher=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Completion of Parkway is Stalled by Old Spill|date=September 29, 2005 |page=T3}}</ref> {{As of|2007}}, the project had been designed as a full [[freeway]] but was placed on hold.<ref>{(cite web |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/const-project.asp?ID=62 |title=Fairfax County Parkway Extension |accessedate=July 31, 2007}]{{dead link|date=April 2012}}</ref> As of September 2010, this portion of the parkway opened for traffic, closing the gap that once existed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fairfaxcountyparkway.org/schedule.aspx |publisher=fairfaxcountyparkway.org |title=Project Schedule |accessdate=November 15, 2010}}</ref> Until Phase III of this extension is completed, drivers on southbound SR 286 must exit at Rolling Road to stay on the parkway southbound and likewise for northbound traffic. Phase III will reconstruct the Rolling Road interchange, turning the Fairfax County Parkway south (along Rolling Rd.), and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway will become a spur.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fcparkway.com/ |title=Project Overview |publisher=fcparkway.com |accessdate=November 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fairfaxcountyparkway.org/ |title=Fairfax County Parkway Design-Build Project |accessdate=May 28, 2009}}</ref>


;Future improvements
;Future improvements
Plans have been made for an interchange at [[Fair Lakes Parkway]], just north of I-66. This project will be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds. This project was certified on August 10, 2009, and the construction contract is expected to be let August 2010.<ref>[http://www.virginiadot.org/news/resources/Statewide/ARRA_Project_Tracking_Sheet.pdf ARRA Tracking Sheet] p. 11, accessed May 13, 2010</ref> Furthermore, improvements are being made to the West Ox Road and Sunrise Valley Drive intersections with the parkway along with interchanges with the new portion of the parkway between Fullerton Road and Rolling Road at Boudinot Drive. Additions and improvements to the [[I-95]] interchange with Fairfax County Parkway are currently under development as well. <ref>[http://www.vamegaprojects.com/about-megaprojects/fairfax-county-parkwaybrac/ Retrieved 15 Nov 2010]</ref>
Plans have been made for an interchange at [[Fair Lakes Parkway]], just north of I-66. This project will be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds. This project was certified on August 10, 2009, and the construction contract is expected to be let August 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/news/resources/Statewide/ARRA_Project_Tracking_Sheet.pdf |title=ARRA Tracking Sheet |page=11 |format=PDF |accessedate=May 13, 2010}}</ref> Furthermore, improvements are being made to the West Ox Road and Sunrise Valley Drive intersections with the parkway along with interchanges with the new portion of the parkway between Fullerton Road and Rolling Road at Boudinot Drive. Additions and improvements to the [[I-95]] interchange with Fairfax County Parkway are currently under development as well. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vamegaprojects.com/about-megaprojects/fairfax-county-parkwaybrac/ |title=BRAC: Fairfax County Parkway / I-95 Access Ramps |accessdate=November 15, 2010}}</ref>


===Designation as primary state highway===
===Designation as primary state highway===
On February 16, 2012, the Fairfax County Parkway was designated SR 286 and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway was designated SR 289.<ref name=vdot>{{cite web|url=http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/newsroom/northern_virginia/2012/three_major_parkways_now56533.asp|title=THREE MAJOR PARKWAYS NOW PRIMARY ROADS|date=February 16, 2012|publisher=Virginia Department of Transportation|accessdate=February 16, 2012}}</ref>
On February 16, 2012, the Fairfax County Parkway was designated SR 286 and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway was designated SR 289.<ref name=vdot>{{cite web|url=http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/newsroom/northern_virginia/2012/three_major_parkways_now56533.asp |title=Three Major Parkways Now Primary Roads |date=February 16, 2012 |publisher=][[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |accessdate=February 16, 2012}}</ref>


==Major intersections==
==Major intersections==
Only [[traffic signal|signalized]] intersections and [[interchange (road)|interchange]]s are listed.<ref>[[Google Maps]] aerial photos; the [[stop line]] at traffic signals is clearly visible</ref>
Only [[traffic signal|signalized]] intersections and [[interchange (road)|interchange]]s are listed.<ref>[[Google Maps]] aerial photos; the stop line at traffic signals is clearly visible</ref>
===Fairfax County Parkway (SR 286)===
===Fairfax County Parkway (SR 286)===
{|class=wikitable
{|class=wikitable
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===Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289)===
===Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289)===
{{Jcttop|nocty=yes|length_ref=<ref name="FS Pkwy">{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/2009/AADT_029_Fairfax_2009.pdf|pages=734&ndash;735|format=PDF|title=Jurisdiction Report|publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]]|year=2009|accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>}}
{{Jcttop|nocty=yes|length_ref=<ref name="FS Pkwy">{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/2009/AADT_029_Fairfax_2009.pdf |pages=734&ndash;735 |format=PDF |title=Jurisdiction Report |publisher=[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] |year=2009 |accessdate=September 5, 2011}}</ref>}}
{{Jctint
{{Jctint
|state=VA
|state=VA

Revision as of 18:18, 5 April 2012

State Route 286 marker

State Route 286

Fairfax County Parkway
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length35 mi[1] (56 km)
Major junctions
South end US 1 at Fort Belvoir
Major intersections I-95 in Newington
I-66 near Chantilly
North end SR 267 in Reston
SR 7 near Herndon
Location
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
Highway system
← SR 285→ SR 287
← SR 288→ SR 290

38°47′28″N 77°20′00″W / 38.7912°N 77.3334°W / 38.7912; -77.3334

The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 286 (SR 286, formerly SR 7100[2]), is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It provides a north–south arterial route in Fairfax County with a mix of interchanges and signalized and unsignalized intersections. Its alignment roughly corresponds to part of the once-proposed Outer Beltway around Washington, D.C. The first segment of the roadway opened in 1987; the road was completed in 2010. In February 2012, SR 286 and SR 289 were transferred to primary roads from their secondary status as SR 7100 and SR 7900.

The Franconia–Springfield Parkway (SR 289, formerly SR 7900[2]), is a spur near the south end of SR 286, leading east through Springfield and serving the Franconia-Springfield Metro station. While SR 286 has access to the main lanes of I-95, SR 289 interchanges with the HOV lanes of the Shirley Highway, a reversible lane system in the median of I-95 and I-395 to Washington.

Route description

The Fairfax County Parkway and its branch to Franconia generally have interchanges at major roads and traffic signals at less major roads. Along the main parkway (SR 286), there are 17 full or partial interchanges and 39 signals, with eleven of those signals at interchanges; the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289) has five interchanges and only three signals. In addition, there are many unsignalized intersections along the road, but none of these are driveways, since the road is limited-access.[3] The road generally has a speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h).[4]

The south end of SR 286 begins at an intersection with US 1 at Accotink and heads northwest through Fort Belvoir, leaving the fort at a diamond interchange with Telegraph Road (SR 611), crossing 1-95 at a full cloverleaf (exit 166), crossing over Fullerton Road, passing through interchanges with Boudinot Drive and Barta Road, and turning west through West Springfield at Rolling Road. This portion replaced the existing Backlick Road (SR 617), which continues north from the I-95 interchange and connects to the Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289). During most of the parkway's life, the portion between Fullerton Road and SR 289 had not been constructed due to delay caused by environmental issues, including an oil spill along its path through the Fort Belvoir Proving Ground. Since approval in 2008, construction began in 2009 and the new portion was opened in late 2010.[3][5]

SR 289 begins at an intersection with Beulah Street (SR 613), with Manchester Boulevard/Kingstowne Boulevard continuing east to Van Dorn Street. The road heads west, with interchanges at the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail/VRE station, Frontier Drive, the Shirley Highway reversible HOV lanes, and Backlick Road (SR 617). At the Rolling Road (SR 638) interchange, SR 289 ends and merges with SR 286. Rolling Road south of the interchange was rebuilt to carry SR 286, and a large loop ramp is designed for northbound SR 286 traffic. Beyond this interchange, SR 286 has two diamond interchanges, with Sydenstricker Road/Gambrill Road (SR 640) and Pohick Road (SR 641)/Hooes Road (SR 636), before a stretch of several miles with only at-grade intersections. From Backlick Road (SR 617) west to this SR 636 interchange, the parkway paralleled and replaced the existing Hooes Road (SR 636).[3]

The Parkway near its beginning, on Fort Belvoir property

From Hooes and Pohick Roads (SR 636/SR 641) northwest to the interchange with Ox Road (SR 123), SR 286 is a surface road, built directly on the former Pohick Road. The parkway beyond Ox Road was built on a new alignment, and has a much smaller number of intersections. Just past Ox Road, SR 286 passes under Clara Barton Drive, a minor residential street. It intersects the west end of Burke Center Parkway (SR 643), crosses over the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line and Fairfax Station Road (SR 660), and intersects several other roads before a freeway section begins at a folded diamond interchange with Braddock Road (SR 620). A complicated three-level diamond takes SR 286 over Lee Highway (US 29) at the south end of West Ox Road (SR 608), and SR 286 crosses I-66 at exit 55, a cloverleaf. After passing over Fair Lakes Circle (SR 7701), the freeway ends at Fair Lakes Parkway (SR 7700); the next interchange, at Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (US 50), is a partial cloverleaf with two signals on SR 286.[3] A current project is underway to create a grade-separated interchange with Fair Lakes Parkway and Monument Drive, eliminating two at-grade signals. The frontage roads were open in late 2011 in order to temporarily route the traffic through the construction zone while the bridges are built over the cross streets and ramps constructed.

From US 50 to Franklin Farm Road, the parkway curves northwest to reach the Outer Beltway right-of-way. This straight path is followed until Baron Cameron Avenue (SR 606), and includes an overpass at Pinecrest Road in the Fox Mill Estates neighborhood. After crossing the Dulles Access Road (SR 267), SR 286 follows the east border of Herndon, with interchanges at Sunset Hills Road (SR 675) and Baron Cameron Avenue (SR 606). The parkway leaves the straight Outer Beltway alignment just beyond Baron Cameron Avenue, curving northwest and north to end at a diamond interchange with Leesburg Pike (SR 7), at which the traffic signals are on SR 286. Algonkian Parkway continues north as a four-lane local road, eventually curving back west and south to SR 7 just east of SR 28.[3]

Another view of the Parkway

SR 286 is also known as the John F. (Jack) Herrity Parkway, designated by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995,[6] and the Trooper Charles Mark Cosslett Memorial Highway, designated in 2010 as the final link through Fort Belvoir.[7] In 2001 SR 289 was named the Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr., Parkway.[8] Jack Herrity served for 12 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and was instrumental in getting the road built;[9] Joseph V. Gartlan, Jr. was a state senator who served Fairfax County for 28 years.[10][11] These names are ceremonial, and are rarely used by the public.[12]

The Fairfax County Parkway Trail is a multi-use trail that runs alongside the Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Fairfax County Parkway from Beulah Street in Springfield to SR 7,[13] mostly as a sidepath, but sometimes using adjacent frontage roads and old alignments of the roads that the parkway replaced.[citation needed] It intersects the Washington and Old Dominion Trail north of Sunset Hills Road at Herndon, near that trail's mile 19.[14]

History

Planning

The Outer Beltway was first planned in 1950 as the "Cross Country Loop", part of the National Capital Planning Commission's comprehensive plan.[15] In Virginia, by the time of a 1965 plan,[16] it was to run through southern and western Fairfax County, crossing the Potomac River at Mason Neck and north of Great Falls, and passing generally west of State Route 123 (Ox Road) and east of SR 645 (Clifton Road, Stringfellow Road, and Lees Corner Road). The straight part of the Fairfax County Parkway between south of Franklin Farm Road and north of Baron Cameron Road is built where the beltway would have been.[17][18] During the 1970s, attention was focused on the Metrorail system, and environmental concerns temporarily pushed the Outer Beltway onto the back burner. In the 1980s and 1990s, when the plan was revived as the Western Transportation Corridor, the route was shifted further west.[15]

The idea for the Springfield Bypass started in the 1970s as a bypass of SR 644 (Old Keene Mill Road) in Springfield. It was soon expanded, by 1978, to include most of what had been planned as the Outer Beltway.[19][20] The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved final plans on July 16, 1987 for the 33-mile (53 km) road, with 16 interchanges and 35 traffic signals between U.S. Route 1 at Fort Belvoir and State Route 7 near Dranesville. A spur to Franconia was included, providing access to the Shirley Highway HOV lanes and the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station. Except for a short six-lane piece in Reston, the $242 million plan included only four lanes.[21][22] Since it was a surface road, the highway could incorporate existing roads. This included portions of SR 617 (Backlick Road), SR 636 (Hooes Road), SR 641 (Pohick Road), and SR 680 (Stuart Road).

55 homes and five businesses had to be taken by eminent domain to build the road.[21] Included in these 55 homes were five at the brand-new Innisfree subdivision in Springfield. Only months after families moved into the houses, located between SR 636 (Hooes Road) and the proposed highway, they were informed that their land would be needed for the interchange at SR 640 (Sydenstricker Road). Originally planned as an at-grade intersection, projections of increased traffic led to a redesign that required more right-of-way.[23]

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors changed the name to the Fairfax County Parkway on June 23, 1988, noting that it traveled far from Springfield. The Franconia Spur was not renamed to the suggested Springfield Parkway at that time, to give time to find a single name for the entire spur, already known as Kingstowne Boulevard at its east end.[24] By the next year, the permanent Franconia-Springfield Parkway name had been applied to the portion west of State Route 613 (Beulah Street); the rest of the road was not built as part of the project, and now carries the Manchester Boulevard and Kingstowne Boulevard names.[25]

Construction

I-66 to Herndon (1987–1993)

Three bond issues were approved by Fairfax County voters to pay for construction of the highway, as well as other roads in the county: $135 million in November 1985,[26] $150 million in April 1988,[27] and $130 million in November 1992.[19][28] The first portions of the road to open were financed by developers building in the area: the Cavalier Land Development Corporation from a new interchange on Interstate 66 north to U.S. Route 50, and the Hazel/Peterson Companies from Stringfellow Road north to Franklin Farm Road, both completed in 1987.[29][30] On October 24, 1989, the gap from US 50 to Stringfellow Road was filled, and the road was extended from Franklin Farm Road north to West Ox Road (SR 608).[31] It was further extended north to a new interchange on the Dulles Toll Road (SR 267) on October 22, 1991,[32] and north to Sunset Hills Road (SR 675) on July 7, 1993.[33]

Franconia-Springfield Parkway (1989–1995)

The first piece of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway, a short bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Rolling Road (SR 638) east over Accotink Creek to near Lackawanna Drive, opened on August 7, 1989.[29] The rest of this spur to Beulah Street (SR 613) in Franconia opened on June 8, 1992, along with the reversible HOV ramps to the Shirley Highway (I-95/I-395).[34] (The Franconia-Springfield station did not open for Virginia Railway Express and Metrorail trains until four and five years later, respectively;[35][36] the interchange at Frontier Drive serving the station opened in December 1995).[37]

Springfield to I-66 (1993–1996)

The next pieces of the road to open were in the southwest, with an upgrade and bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Pohick Road (SR 641) east to Rolling Road (SR 638) and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway opening by November 1993.[38] The highway from Ox Road (SR 123) north to Braddock Road (SR 620) opened on July 28, 1995,[39] and was connected to the existing portion at I-66 on September 19.[40] Two interchanges along this portion and the older one to the north - at US 50 and at US 29 - opened on December 14 and December 20 respectively.[37] From SR 123 southeast to the beginning of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway, existing two-lane roads were widened, opening the road from SR 123 east to Lee Chapel Road (SR 643) by May 1996[41] and to Pohick Road (SR 641) on July 2, 1996,[42] completing the road from Springfield to Herndon. However, until a new bridge opened in early September 2002, traffic on Pohick Road northbound (just east of Hooes Road) was required to turn right onto the parkway.[43]

US 1 to I-95 (1997) and Herndon to SR 7 (1999–2001)

The southernmost portion, from US 1 north across I-95 to Fullerton Road, mostly an upgrade of Backlick Road (SR 617), opened south of Telegraph Road (SR 611) by July 1997[44] and north of Telegraph Road later that year.[45] The first part north of Sunset Hills Road (SR 675), a short piece from the new interchange with SR 7 south to Sugarland Road (SR 604), opened by June 1999.[46] Extensions opened south to Wiehle Avenue (SR 828) on November 1, 2000[47] and Baron Cameron Avenue (SR 606) on December 21, 2000.[48] The gap was filled on November 5, 2001, finally completing the parkway north of Springfield.[49]

I-95 to Springfield

Construction has been delayed many times on the last segment, between Fullerton Road (just north of I-95) and Rolling Road (SR 638), which will allow traffic on the main part of the parkway to connect directly to the I-95 main lanes. Plans were made here in the late 1980s, and it was to be paid for by a developer who was to build a development on land bought from the U.S. Army's Fort Belvoir. But those plans fell through, and traffic growth necessitated a redesign.[41][45] Plans were again postponed in the early 2000s due to necessary environmental cleanup of that part of Fort Belvoir, which included unexploded ordnance.[50] The Environmental Protection Agency discovered in 2005 that an oil spill on the property had not been properly cleaned.[5] As of 2007, the project had been designed as a full freeway but was placed on hold.[51] As of September 2010, this portion of the parkway opened for traffic, closing the gap that once existed.[52] Until Phase III of this extension is completed, drivers on southbound SR 286 must exit at Rolling Road to stay on the parkway southbound and likewise for northbound traffic. Phase III will reconstruct the Rolling Road interchange, turning the Fairfax County Parkway south (along Rolling Rd.), and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway will become a spur.[53][54]

Future improvements

Plans have been made for an interchange at Fair Lakes Parkway, just north of I-66. This project will be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds. This project was certified on August 10, 2009, and the construction contract is expected to be let August 2010.[55] Furthermore, improvements are being made to the West Ox Road and Sunrise Valley Drive intersections with the parkway along with interchanges with the new portion of the parkway between Fullerton Road and Rolling Road at Boudinot Drive. Additions and improvements to the I-95 interchange with Fairfax County Parkway are currently under development as well. [56]

Designation as primary state highway

On February 16, 2012, the Fairfax County Parkway was designated SR 286 and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway was designated SR 289.[2]

Major intersections

Only signalized intersections and interchanges are listed.[57]

Fairfax County Parkway (SR 286)

Location Mile[3] Road(s) Notes
Fort Belvoir 0.0 US 1 (Richmond Highway)
0.8 Kingman Road, Farrar Road
Newington 1.8 SR 611 (Telegraph Road) Interchange
2.3 SR 10240 (Backlick Road)
2.6 SR 3726 (Terminal Road)
2.8 SR 877 (Loisdale Road)
3.0 I-95 – Fredericksburg, Alexandria Interchange; exit 166 of I-95
3.1
SR 617 north (Backlick Road) 		Interchange; northbound exit only; other traffic should use SR 4600
3.3 Boudinot Drive
4.2 Barta Road
4.8 SR 636 (Hooes Road) / SR 8440 (Donegal Lane)
West Springfield 5.1
SR 289 east (Franconia-Springfield Parkway) / SR 638 (Rolling Road) 		Interchange with a signal on SR 286 northbound
5.5 Whitlers Creek Drive
6.0-6.2 SR 640 (Gambrill Road, Sydenstricker Road) Interchange
7.1-7.3

SR 636 south (Hooes Road) / SR 641 south (Pohick Road) 		Interchange
8.3 SR 4521 (Huntsman Boulevard)
8.6 SR 5853 (Reservation Drive) - South Run Park
Burke
8.9 SR 643 (Lee Chapel Road)
10.0 SR 644 (Old Keene Mill Road)
10.7 SR 645 (Burke Lake Road)
11.2 SR 6197 (Roberts Parkway) / SR 6185 (Karmich Street)
13.2 SR 123 (Ox Road) Interchange
13.9 SR 643 (Burke Centre Parkway)
Fairfax Station
16.4 SR 654 (Popes Head Road)
17.1 SR 620 (Braddock Road) Interchange
Fairfax
18.2 US 29 (Lee Highway) / SR 608 (West Ox Road) Interchange
19.3 I-66 – Front Royal, Washington Interchange; exit 55 of I-66
20.0 SR 7700 (Fair Lakes Parkway)
20.2 SR 7969 (Monument Drive)
21.0 US 50 (Lee Jackson Memorial Highway) Interchange with signals on SR 286
Herndon
21.5 SR 750 (Rugby Road)
22.9 SR 7155 (Stringfellow Road) / SR 7138 (Stringfellow Court)
23.2 SR 7140 (Tuckaway Drive)
23.7 SR 6819 (Franklin Farm Road)
24.8 SR 608 (West Ox Road)
Reston 26.4 SR 665 (Fox Mill Road)
27.1 SR 5320 (Sunrise Valley Drive)
27.5 SR 267 (Dulles Toll Road) – Washington, Dulles Airport Interchange with signals on SR 286; exit 11 of SR 267
27.8 SR 675 (Sunset Hills Road) Interchange with a signal on SR 286
28.1 SR 6363 (New Dominion Parkway)
28.5 SR 606 (Elden Street, Baron Cameron Avenue) Interchange
29.1 SR 7412 (Walnut Branch Road)
29.5 SR 7675 (Lake Newport Road)
30.5 SR 828 (Wiehle Avenue)
31.4 SR 604 (Sugarland Road)
Sterling 31.8 SR 7 / SR 6220 (Algonkian Parkway) – Tysons Corner, Falls Church, Leesburg, Winchester Interchange with signals on SR 286

Franconia-Springfield Parkway (SR 289)

Locationmi[58]kmDestinationsNotes
West Springfield0.000.00 SR 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) / SR 638 (Rolling Road)
Springfield1.602.57 SR 617 (Backlick Road)
1.722.77 I-95 – Fredericksburg, Washington, D.C.Partial interchange provides access to I-95's reversible HOV facility but not to the general-purpose lanes
2.223.57 SR 2677 (Frontier Drive)Westbound traffic may also access Franconia–Springfield station via separate loop ramp
Franconia3.084.96 SR 613 (Beulah Street)Module:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  • Intercounty Connector, a toll road being built in Maryland on some of the Outer Beltway right-of-way
  • Montrose Parkway, a surface road being built in Maryland on some of the Outer Beltway right-of-way, where the Intercounty Connector's path is further north

References

  1. ^ "Transportation Board Approves Fairfax County Parkway Plans Final Segment of 35-mile parkway]" (Press release). Virginia Department of Transportation. March 22, 2004. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Three Major Parkways Now Primary Roads". ]Virginia Department of Transportation. February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Google Maps street maps and satellite imagery, accessed October 2007 Cite error: The named reference "Google" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Removing Speed from the 'Speedway'". Burke Connection. October 14, 2005]. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |lat= ignored (help)[dead link]
  5. ^ a b Rein, Lisa (September 29, 2005). "Completion of Parkway is Stalled by Old Spill". The Washington Post. p. T3.
  6. ^ "Chapter 183, S. 812". March 14, 1995. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  7. ^ . myfoxdc.com http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/traffic/fairfax-county-parkway-extension-to-open-091310. Retrieved November 15, 2010. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "Chapter 734, S. 291". March 26, 2001. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  9. ^ "Dying for Recognition". The Washington Post. February 9, 1995. p. V3.
  10. ^ "United Region Puts Schools, Roads on Top of Wish List". The Washington Post. January 3, 2001. p. T1.
  11. ^ "After 28 Years, Va. Lawmaker Calling It Quits". The Washington Post. February 20, 1999. p. B1.
  12. ^ Kelly,, John (April 21, 2005). "Honored in All but Name". The Washington Post. p. T10.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  13. ^ "Fairfax County Parkway Trail Ribbon Cutting Set For October 24, 2:30 p.m." (Press release). Fairfax County. October 18, 2002. Archived from the original on September 28, 2006. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  14. ^ "Map of the W&OD, Herndon - Reston (mileage markers 17.5 to 20)]". Friends of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessedate= ignored (help)
  15. ^ a b "Western Transportation Corridor Study Purpose and Need Statement". Virginia Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2004. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  16. ^ "Review of Transportation Guidance in Previous Comprehensive Plans" (PDF). p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2012. shows an earlier plan in Prince William County to the south
  17. ^ "Northern Virginia Regional Plan" (PDF). Virginia Department of Highways. 1965. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  18. ^ "Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan". Virginia Department of Highways. 1969. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  19. ^ a b "Virginia Referendums - No and Yes". The Washington Post. October 31, 1992. p. A22.
  20. ^ Grubisich,, Thomas (February 6, 1978). "Bypass in Fairfax Still Long Way Off,". The Washington Post. p. C4.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  21. ^ a b "Springfield Bypass Near Approval". The Washington Post. July 16, 1987. p. C9.
  22. ^ "State Rebuffs N. Virginia On Rte. 28 Rail Line". The Washington Post. July 17, 1987. p. C3.
  23. ^ Lancaster, John (June 1, 1987). "Houses Stand In Road's Path". The Washington Post. p. D1.
  24. ^ "Government Actions,". The Washington Post. June 23, 1988. p. V4.
  25. ^ "Guaranty Bank Comes to Maryland". The Washington Post. May 15, 1989. p. F11.
  26. ^ "Road Bonds Approved". The Washington Post. November 6, 1985. p. A17.
  27. ^ Anderson, John Ward (April 13, 1988). "Fairfax Road Bonds Pass in Landslide". The Washington Post. p. D1.
  28. ^ Baker, Peter (November 4, 1992). "Byrne Is First Woman From Va. in Congress". The Washington Post.
  29. ^ a b Bates, Steve (August 8, 1989). "New Fairfax Road Has More Monikers Than Miles". The Washington Post. p. D3.
  30. ^ "Parkway". The Washington Post. November 4, 1988. p. E1.
  31. ^ "Fairfax Parkway Segment Opens". The Washington Post. October 25, 1989. p. D5.
  32. ^ "Fairfax Parkway Stretch to Debut". The Washington Post. October 17, 1991. p. V1.
  33. ^ Shear, Michael D. (July 1, 1993). "New Parkway Section to Open". The Washington Post. p. V2.
  34. ^ Fehr, Stephen C. (June 7, 1992). "Bridge Set to Ease Springfield Traffic". The Washington Post. p. B7.
  35. ^ Smith, Leef (July 18, 1996). "VRE Adds A Pearl to Its String". The Washington Post. p. V2.
  36. ^ Tousignant, Marylou (June 27, 1997). "At Last, Metro Reaches End of the Blue Line". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  37. ^ a b Reid, Alice (December 12, 1995). "3 Interchanges Opening Along Fairfax Parkway". The Washington Post. p. E3.
  38. ^ "Final Board Summary". Fairfax County. November 22, 1993. notes problems with cut-through traffic due to the forced right turn from northbound Pohick Road onto the parkway
  39. ^ O'Harrow Jr., Robert (July 27, 1995). "Accessibility Grows With County Road". The Washington Post. p. V1.
  40. ^ "Final Board Summary". Fairfax County. September 11, 1995.
  41. ^ a b "Progress On Fairfax Parkway". The Washington Post. May 23, 1996. p. J1.
  42. ^ Black, M. Cherie (July 3, 1996). "Missing Link Opens in Fairfax Parkway". The Washington Times. p. C7.
  43. ^ "Metro; In Brief". The Washington Post. August 31, 2002. p. B3.
  44. ^ "Where There's a Will...". The Washington Post. July 23, 1997. p. V1.
  45. ^ a b Sipress, Alan (October 14, 1998). "Last Part of Fairfax Parkway to Open in Next Millennium". The Washington Post. p. V29.
  46. ^ {{cite news |publisher=The Washington Post |title=Directly to Dulles for Smoother Sailing |date=June 10, 1999 |page=V1
  47. ^ "Metro In Brief". The Washington Post. October 31, 2000. p. B3.
  48. ^ "Metro In Brief". The Washington Post. December 21, 2000. p. B3.
  49. ^ "Fairfax County Parkway Earns Top Quality Award". Virginia Department of Transportation. April 1, 2003. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  50. ^ Dwyer, Timothy (January 29, 2004). "Parkway Completion Approved". The Washington Post. p. T3.
  51. ^ {(cite web |publisher=Virginia Department of Transportation |url=http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/const-project.asp?ID=62 |title=Fairfax County Parkway Extension |accessedate=July 31, 2007}][dead link]
  52. ^ "Project Schedule". fairfaxcountyparkway.org. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  53. ^ "Project Overview". fcparkway.com. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  54. ^ "Fairfax County Parkway Design-Build Project". Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  55. ^ "ARRA Tracking Sheet" (PDF). p. 11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessedate= ignored (help)
  56. ^ "BRAC: Fairfax County Parkway / I-95 Access Ramps". Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  57. ^ Google Maps aerial photos; the stop line at traffic signals is clearly visible
  58. ^ "Jurisdiction Report" (PDF). Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. pp. 734–735. Retrieved September 5, 2011.

External links

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