News

Task Force: Belmont Ridge Interchange 'Top Priority'

October 13, 2010

via The Leesburg Today

Members of the Rt. 7 Task Force formed recently by Sen. Mark Herring (D-33) came together Wednesday morning for their first formal meeting and, as would have been expected, the interchange at Rt. 7 and Belmont Ridge Road quickly emerged as a priority project for the group.

Those present, including representatives of businesses, neighborhoods, developments and special facilities in the corridor, agreed to send a letter to state representatives, the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the Virginia Department of Transportation stating the interchange, estimated to cost $60 million, is their top transportation project, followed closely by the Sycolin Road overpass on the Leesburg Bypass.

Both projects are nearing completion of the design phase, but funding to construct the improvements are elusive.

The letter, which Herring will draft for members to review, will also include mention of the need for other avenues to improve transportation movement in the corridor, such as increased bus service and pedestrian access.

"If we can speak with a strong, unified voice...that this is a top priority for Loudoun and the corridor, I think that will go a long way," Herring said.

Creating a unified voice, and bringing together those who have worked separately toward the same goals for years was the purpose behind the task force, Herring said. The group has come together once before, during an establishment meeting to determine whether the individuals invited wanted to take part and thought the task force could create solutions.

The money for the Rt. 7/Rt. 659 interchange and the Sycolin Road overpass is potentially available after the 2010 performance audit of VDOT revealed a potential $1 billion in construction and maintenance money that could become available.

"While it is not going to change the long-term funding system for the state, it could put back into the six-year plan some of those projects that have been removed," Herring said.

The county Office of Transportation also is planning on bringing before the Board of Supervisors a list of projects that could move forward if some of the new-found funding came Loudoun's way.

Many members of the task force lamented the safety concerns at the Belmont Ridge Road intersection, which is consistency listed as one of the most dangerous crossroads in the county by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, as well as the traffic problems that often make it difficult for employees to get to work and residents to reach services a timely manner. Randy Kelley, CEO of Inova Loudoun Hospital, noted how important having a moving transportation system in that area is when residents need to reach the hospital during emergencies.

One of the obstacles toward getting the interchange funded is the high price tag. At $60 million it is almost double the cost of other interchanges because a portion of Rt. 659 would need to be relocated to allow for the construction.

"Because you can't build in the same footprint, so the interchange will have to moved slightly west," Terrie Laycock, OTS' special projects manager, said. "Rt. 659, almost south to Russell Branch, needs to be relocated and constructed...you have to do both at the same time."

Almost through its 35 percent design phase, the interchange is being processed as it would be if it were being paid for with federal funding, which requires additional environmental studies not needed with state or local funding. There are proffers from Lansdowne Village Green, but only to the tune of $2 to $3 million.

"Give me $55 million and I'll get you an interchange," Laycock joked.

Toll Brothers, the developer of Belmont Country Club, does have a proffer to contribute half the cost of the interchange, but only when it has developed the commercial section of the project. Laycock said she does not expect that development to occur any time soon. There is a proffer allowing the developer to contribute cash toward construction, but it is capped and will not reach the level needed to fund the interchange.

Telos' Ralph Buona, who is also chairman of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, questioned state legislation that passed this year limiting localities' ability to collect proffers up front, but Herring said that bill only applied to cash contributions for facilities like schools or parks, which cannot be collected until the houses that sparked the need for the proffer are built.

With the interchange at Loudoun County Parkway open already there are only a few more projects needed to convert Rt. 7 between Leesburg and CountrySide to limited access, as planned in the late 1980s. Smith Circle will eventually become an overpass, with Riverside Parkway extending south to connect with Russell Branch Parkway, but Laycock warned there is no funding for that project either.

The county's transportation staff is interested in looking at the project, however, Laycock said, and figuring out what would be required to bring the overpass to fruition. There also is the issue of the extension of Riverside Parkway through, or around, Broad Run Farms. As part of the review of the overpass plans, staff would examine alignment options for that missing link, Laycock said.

The Ashburn Village Boulevard interchange is being proffered by Miller & Smith, the developers of One Loudoun, as an upfront proffer. According to Laycock, design on the project is almost complete and meetings with the developer have been positive.

There are no interchanges planned for east of Algonkian Parkway, as the existing development does not allow the room, but $3 million has been acquired to improve three Rt. 7 intersections: Potomac View Road, Sterling Boulevard, and Augusta Drive. The funding was collecting by leveraging proffers for other transportation projects through a very detailed process, Laycock said. The improvements, on which construction is planned to begin next spring, will include amenities like turn lanes and improved pedestrian facilities.

The notion of non-vehicular traffic raised some questions from participants, mostly representatives of HOAs and citizen groups, during Wednesday's session. Pat Turner, of Bike Loudoun, opined that no matter what improvements are complete Cascades and Sterling would still be isolated for those looking to use an alternate mode of transportation to head west along Rt. 7.

Laycock said any new road links would be built with bicycle and pedestrian improvements, but Turner noted that there is no way for a cyclist to get west of Rt. 28 and Broad Run Farms.

"We need to get people out of their cars," Turner said. "We need to be looking at all the aspects of transportation and reducing traffic on the roads."

One of the challenges, Laycock said, is the Broad Run Farms area has a large environmentally sensitive area that would very expensive to cross with any project.