Waxpool/28 Interchange is now open!

I drove through this intersection (heading north on Rt. 28) around 7:15 last night, on my way to Rt. 7.

Ugh. It looks like the lack of the 4th cloverleaf is the least of that area's problems!

 

The north-east leaf of the cloverleaf. There will be two ways to get onto Waxpool when the flyover is finished.

 

Two ways? Really? Wow, that is interesting. How will it work?

 

There will be the recently opened cloverleaf connecting Rt. 28 north with Waxpool west, and there will be a flyover directly connecting the left lane(s) of Rt. 28 north with Waxpool west (see Ramp H of this map: http://www.28freeway.com/rt625ph1map.html ).

 

The same way the 66e/495w exchange works...if you're in the right lane of 28n, you can take the northeast leaf of the cloverleaf and if you're in the left lane you can take the flyaway lane.

 

Tigger, what time did you go through this. I hit it @ around 6 P.M.
I exited off of the toll road @ 28N, and traffic was backed up to that point. It took me no less than 1 hour to get onto Waxpool. It seems that currently theres too much traffic being dumped on Waxpool all at the same time. 28N 28S and the traffic from church. Total bottleneck.

 

Yesterday a.m. was terrible trying to get to Route 28 from Waxpool. It took me 35 minutes to drive from the Farmwell/Waxpool (Ice Arena) intersection to the Waxpool/Broderick (AOL).

This morning a little faster... but still 25 mintues!

 

About 4:30pm

 

I am already beginning to wonder what the alternatives are for bypassing the new (but not improved) 28/Waxpool interchange.

So how bad would it be to take Rt 7 to Belmont?

 

Wow, last night sucked! It took me almost an hour to get from the toll road to Waxpool. It also didn't help that people were cutting in line and generally driving like a-holes. After I got past Pacific, it was clear sailing. At least before there were 2 lanes turning and I didn't have to worry about people not letting me in. I think getting rid of the Pacific light is a must but I'm not too sure how they could pull that off.

Gregg

 

I agree on both points. The only way I see is a cloverleaf and there isn't enough room on any of the corners.

Perhaps once they extend Pacific down to Nokes and they get that cloverleaf put in there, that would help aleviate retail traffic to the new shopping center/Wegmans...but that makes too much sense and most dummys will still try to get in there via Waxpool because it's 'closer', despite the fact that you may be able to get there 'faster' by going down to Nokes and coming in the back way w/ less traffic.

 

I think part of the issue was that last night was the first FULL workday evening rush hour the new traffic pattern was open. As people get used to the fact that instead of being in the left lane as before, they need to be in the right lane, it will smooth out.

However, a way to avoid that altogether for the next 4 to 8 months is to take the Greedway, er, Greenway right to Broadlands.

I know an hour of my time is worth the $1.75 !!



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

As I've said before on different forum topics about the RTE 28 road improvements, getting into and out of Ashburn will be made WORSE because of these improvements.
The light on Commercial/RTE 28 was removed to speed up the traffic flow on RTE 28. The result is that all the traffic that feeds into the Wegman's/CarMax area has to go onto Waxpool then Pacific. This will result in lengthening the traffic signal time to allow for this traffic. The result? Getting into Ashburn will take longer because of the increased red light time on Waxpool. To add insult to injury, the plan is to put a pedestrian signal at this intersection so that the AOL employees can walk to Wegman's for lunch!!!!! This signal will have ALL directions stopped long enough for pedestrians to cross 9 lanes of traffic!!!!
Coming home from work the other day, I glanced north on Pacific as I was passing through the intersection. Both lanes were packed solid with cars all the way back to the stop sign at Commercial Dr. Just wait until they add the new mall!!!

The next kick in the teeth to Ashburn is that they are about to finish paving Loudoun County Parkway from RTE 7 to Beaumeade. The intent is to make this a major reliever road for RTE 28. The result is that Loudoun County Parkway will have significantly more traffic. The result? The traffic light at Waxpool/Loudoun County Parkway will be red for Waxpool for a much longer length of time.

By fixing RTE's 28 and 7, Ashburn is taking it in the shorts. Oh wait!!! We can all use the Greenway!!!

My prediction: By 2006 when all these improvements are done, the morning rush hour eastbound on Waxpool will be packed solid with bumper to bumper traffic from Ashburn Road to RTE 28. In the afternoon, the new "flyover" ramp from northbound 28 to Waxpool Road will be backed up and stopped on RTE 28 well south of the flyover ramp.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

 

Cliff, Sometimes we are just on the same page. It's a Christmas miracle. I agree 100% with what you said. Waxpool is already bumper to bumber at 6:30 AM at the LC Parkway light. Waxpool has become an endless string of mis-timed lights. I'm betting there will be at least on more light put in between Ashburn Rd and LC Parkway too.

The bulk of my commuting time to Chantilly is spent on Waxpool. I zip right up and down 28. It appears that all these actions lead to one thing. Forcing people to use the Greenway. I would not be surprised at all to find out in later years that they paid off the State and County. Afterall, the Greenway turns over to the State in 20XX. They'll want a piece of the cash cow too!

 

Just came back from Sterling - took 28 and used the ramp that took the place of Commercial. All was great until we came to a complete (and abrupt) standstill on Waxpool. Grrr. They've got Waxpool down to one lane just past AOL. Grinches don't want to let anyone merge either.

 

A lot of people thought that once the light at 28/Waxpool went away that all the traffic problems would get better. However, I wouldn't be so quick to pass judgement - there is still a large stretch of road on Waxpool that is under construction.

I'm suprised nobody has mentioned the east bound bridge on Waxpool (believe its call Broad Run Bridge) that hasn't opened yet between Loudoun County parkway and Pacific.

The reason for the backups isn't the 28 improvements, but that whole area between Wegmans/AOL and Loudoun County Parkway. Once they open that bridge and open more lanes in this zone, it will be able to handle the larger flows during the morning and afternoon rushhours.

The bridge is scheduled to open Winter 2005, so hopefully we should get the answer to our traffic woes within the next couple months.

 

For rush hours and commuters, it'll help a great deal...but when that shopping 'complex' goes in over next to Wegmans it won't matter. There'll be crazy retail traffic clogging up the Waxpool/Pacific intersection.

 

The developer of that complex will probably be required to extend Pacific past (under??) the W&OD trail north and tie it into one of the cross streets there. That would actually be the first thing I would do, so that you would have the additional traffic exit to the north.



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

According to the drawings on 28freeway.com, Pacific is already slated to be extended past Nokes:

http://www.28freeway.com/images/projectmap/rt625.jpg
http://www.28freeway.com/images/projectmap/rt638.jpg

...which is why I suggested earlier that traffic entering that shopping center would be better suited going down to Nokes to get in. It'd be nice if they'd cloverleaf Atlantic (just past the Trail parking area) you could hit that West and get to pacific. We all know that won't happen tho.