Can't Get There From Here
May. 4th, 2007 10:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
damontRecently I made reference to the "Can't Get There From Here" highway project down around the I-66 interchanges with routes 28 and 29 in Centreville. The reason for the moniker is that, when the project is finished, you won't be able to Get There From Here. Here is a link to the story I saw about a month ago about it (and here's a direct link to the aerial picture therefrom showing overlays of the intended median at Braddock and Walney Roads).
There are two parts to this project. First, VDOT is closing the ramps from I-66 east to VA-28 south and from VA-28 north to I-66 west, eliminating 2 out of 3 left turns at the exit 53 interchange. Second, VDOT will put in a median at the "Braddock/Walney" intersection that makes left turns almost impossible there; the only left turn available will be from VA-28 north onto Braddock Rd west. As an addendum to part 2, VDOT will put in a traffic light at Walney Rd and Westfields Blvd, north of all this mess.
For the first part, VDOT has redone the signs on I-66 and VA-28. Traffic on I-66 eastbound headed for VA-28 south will need to exit at exit 52 and take US-29 east to VA-28 south; exit 53 eastbound has had "North" added after "28" and the "Centreville" sign is boarded over. (I think they should put "Chantilly" or "Herndon" or even "Sterling" up instead.) Traffic on VA-28 northbound headed for I-66 west will have to get on US-29 south to pick up I-66 west. The exit sign for US-29 (on VA-28 north) now says "TO I-66 West / Front Royal".
Now, when I first lived in Chantilly, routes 28 and 29 were each *partial* interchanges. I-66 West exited only onto VA-28; from VA-28 you could only get onto I-66 East. US-29 only had ramps from I-66 East and to I-66 West. Both interchanges became complete interchanges shortly before I moved out of Chantilly (the first time). The ramps now being closed were part of that later addition, and in over 15 years, very few people have used them; even with all the growth in Centreville, using route 29 to get to 28 is still generally faster. So it makes sense to close them, as they contribute to traffic delays in exchange for very minimal benefit.
But the second part is the part the screws over me, my entire neighborhood, most of the surrounding developments, and a lot of folks who work in the business park nearby. We have always used Walney Road (which was once Centreville Road, and went straight to the heart of Centreville before I-66 went in) to get to I-66 and to VA-28 south towards Manassas. Now, we won't be able to. VA-28 southbound won't be able to turn left onto Walney Road, which is fine as almost nobody does anyway. Braddock Road eastbound won't be able to turn onto VA-28 north, which is a little more problematical, but it's still fairly low traffic, and Westfields Blvd. is a much easier workaround from their side of 28. Walney Road is *always* high traffic to make the left onto 28 south except around 2 AM; at evening rush hour the line is horrendous. Now *everyone* will have to cut the opposite direction through the business park to get onto Westfields Blvd. Including all the workers who currently use Walney to get out of said bizpark. From the bizpark itself, it's not far to Westfields... so there must be a BIG reason so many people *don't* use it to get from the bizpark to 28. I suspect this is going to be a major fustercluck before too long.
The stupid part of all this is that they haven't addressed the cause of the worst traffic at evening rush: traffic leaving I-66 west to go west on Braddock Road, which will *still* have to wait at a traffic light to cross the northbound lanes of 28 into the left turn lanes, and wait at *another* light *75 yards down the hill* to make the actual turn. This is a result of the reconstruction of the interchange 8 years ago... when they didn't have the money to do it right; they only had half the money they needed so they built a half-assed patch with it. Exit 53 is a *SIX* way interchange and needed to be constructed as such.
I've friends-locked this post because it's a bit too ranty... but this is just one more reason I intend to leave the FedroSplat before long.
There are two parts to this project. First, VDOT is closing the ramps from I-66 east to VA-28 south and from VA-28 north to I-66 west, eliminating 2 out of 3 left turns at the exit 53 interchange. Second, VDOT will put in a median at the "Braddock/Walney" intersection that makes left turns almost impossible there; the only left turn available will be from VA-28 north onto Braddock Rd west. As an addendum to part 2, VDOT will put in a traffic light at Walney Rd and Westfields Blvd, north of all this mess.
For the first part, VDOT has redone the signs on I-66 and VA-28. Traffic on I-66 eastbound headed for VA-28 south will need to exit at exit 52 and take US-29 east to VA-28 south; exit 53 eastbound has had "North" added after "28" and the "Centreville" sign is boarded over. (I think they should put "Chantilly" or "Herndon" or even "Sterling" up instead.) Traffic on VA-28 northbound headed for I-66 west will have to get on US-29 south to pick up I-66 west. The exit sign for US-29 (on VA-28 north) now says "TO I-66 West / Front Royal".
Now, when I first lived in Chantilly, routes 28 and 29 were each *partial* interchanges. I-66 West exited only onto VA-28; from VA-28 you could only get onto I-66 East. US-29 only had ramps from I-66 East and to I-66 West. Both interchanges became complete interchanges shortly before I moved out of Chantilly (the first time). The ramps now being closed were part of that later addition, and in over 15 years, very few people have used them; even with all the growth in Centreville, using route 29 to get to 28 is still generally faster. So it makes sense to close them, as they contribute to traffic delays in exchange for very minimal benefit.
But the second part is the part the screws over me, my entire neighborhood, most of the surrounding developments, and a lot of folks who work in the business park nearby. We have always used Walney Road (which was once Centreville Road, and went straight to the heart of Centreville before I-66 went in) to get to I-66 and to VA-28 south towards Manassas. Now, we won't be able to. VA-28 southbound won't be able to turn left onto Walney Road, which is fine as almost nobody does anyway. Braddock Road eastbound won't be able to turn onto VA-28 north, which is a little more problematical, but it's still fairly low traffic, and Westfields Blvd. is a much easier workaround from their side of 28. Walney Road is *always* high traffic to make the left onto 28 south except around 2 AM; at evening rush hour the line is horrendous. Now *everyone* will have to cut the opposite direction through the business park to get onto Westfields Blvd. Including all the workers who currently use Walney to get out of said bizpark. From the bizpark itself, it's not far to Westfields... so there must be a BIG reason so many people *don't* use it to get from the bizpark to 28. I suspect this is going to be a major fustercluck before too long.
The stupid part of all this is that they haven't addressed the cause of the worst traffic at evening rush: traffic leaving I-66 west to go west on Braddock Road, which will *still* have to wait at a traffic light to cross the northbound lanes of 28 into the left turn lanes, and wait at *another* light *75 yards down the hill* to make the actual turn. This is a result of the reconstruction of the interchange 8 years ago... when they didn't have the money to do it right; they only had half the money they needed so they built a half-assed patch with it. Exit 53 is a *SIX* way interchange and needed to be constructed as such.
I've friends-locked this post because it's a bit too ranty... but this is just one more reason I intend to leave the FedroSplat before long.
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 02:49 pm (UTC)What is it with NoVA isolating people and businesses by way of things like this? Not far from
I don't know if this helped with the traffic or not.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 03:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 03:23 pm (UTC)Have a great weekend and *hugs*
no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 03:27 pm (UTC)Ok, this is why I HATE driving out there when I go out to Nissan. The roads are a disaster. Merriweather is so much easier to get to and from.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 05:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 05:18 pm (UTC)But I agree that in general, the roads are a disaster. I just don't think MD is much better (again, in general).
no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 05:32 pm (UTC)And I think I know the location near
no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 06:35 pm (UTC)I like the buildign itself alot more to. Alot more character.
You're right about the roads in generall though, they all suck. I just tend to get hopelessly lost in NoVa alot more often. Not too many visual landmarks.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-05 12:57 am (UTC)About the only good thing I see about this is the light at Westfields and Walney that has been a nasty intersection for a while .I usually cut across Popler tree to Newbrook cause there is a light there to Westfields
My Mom use to work for an engineer at VDOT several years ago from what she used to tell me a lot of the problems are caused by obstacles fairfax county puts up and forces VDOT to make design changes that are stupid