Greenway rush hour traffic backups

Is it just me or have you noticed that the AM rushhour backups on the Greenway are getting longer? Today the AM eastbound backup started before Exit 7 (Loudoun County Pkwy). Could it all just be from more commuters due to development growth? Traffic delays on the Greenway are taking a toll on the time vs. cost benefit of choosing the toll road route to Reston and beyond. However, Waxpool to 28 has gotten worse as well. Perhaps once the new interchanges at 28/Waxpool and 28/606 are complete traffic on those routes will be better. I am not a traffic engineer but I am a geographer and my work has supported traffic improvement studies for Fairfax County government. I think there are a few Greenway construction projects I think would reduce bottle necks.
- PM Westbound @ 28: Traffic backs up when 3 lanes go to 2 for the Route 28 overpass. Bridge is currently wide enough for 3 lanes traffic without a breakdown lane. Add a breakdown area before and after the bridge like on I-66 West of I-495. 1/5-1/4 of traffic exits onto 28 south just beyond 28 overpass. Eventually would require widening.
- AM Eastbound from Toll Plaza to merge with Toll Road: Add a 3rd lane and widen Eastbound Greenway bridge over 28 and Dulles Access road.

Both of these projects would significantly improve traffic flow through the first mile of the Greenway where most backups occur.

 

What time of day are you hitting these bottlenecks? I have the good fortune to work for a company that offers flex time. I hit the Greenway at 6:15 am and 3:30 in the afternoon with no backup.
As for road improvements I couldn't agree more. More needs to be done to update the roads in the area. Another bridge across the Potomac would take a lot of pressure off the toll road, route 7 and the beltway but as long as the NIMBY's rule this will never happen.

 

Something definitely needs to be done to improve the section of road between the Toll Road and the Greenway, where it reduces down to two lanes. What were they thinking? Also, they need to open an additional lane for Fastoll in the morning and evening. I hope they do something quick. If it gets much worse, I'm going to go back to using Waxpool to 28 and save some money!

 

That probably won't do much good either. There are only 2 lanes immediately after the toll booths and quite often that is where the bottle neck originates.

 

And waxpool/28 is a mess until they finish the flyover.

 

What exactly is the flyover at 28/Waxpool road? Is it an extension of the Fairfax County Parkway? I was kind of shocked when I saw all of that major construction which was not there before I left for Iraq!

 

No, this is not an extension of the Fairfax County Parkway.

It is part of the Route 28 Corridor Improvements...

http://www.28freeway.com/

 

http://www.28freeway.com/projectmap.html

It's a cloverleaf so 28 will be an uninterrupted road from Rt 66 until it ends at Rt 7. That link gives you an overview of all the improvements.

(edited for spelling)

 

But guess what? Even after all the construction is complete there, we will still have to sit at a stop light to make a left to go onto 28 North! There will be no cloverleaf to go from Waxpool Eastbound to 28 Northbound! What great planning...

 

I don't think that it's a planning problem as much as a real estate problem, there's no room on that corner for a cloverleaf.

I'd imagine there'd be a stop light there, it's a right hand turn across westbound traffic, plus it's right where the ramp from 28N comes in so it would allow those ppl heading to eastbound Church an easier merge.

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

 

I expect traffic to get much WORSE on Waxpool after this intersection is complete for the following reasons:
1) The intersection at Commercial Drive and 28 will be closed. This will require ALL traffic that goes to/from the Wegmans/CarMax complex to have to use Waxpool and turn at the light at Pacific.
2) The intersection at Pacific/Waxpool will be widened to three east/west lanes on Waxpool, with the two turn lanes. They plan to install pedestrian crossing signals to stop traffic so the employees at AOL can walk across the road to get lunch at Wegmans. So, in addition to increasing a lot of traffic at this intersection, they're going to slow it down! I fully expect that when this is all done, northbound 28 using the "flyover" onto westbound 28 will be significantly backed up.
3) The need for the stoplight to turn north on 28 from eastbound Waxpool, as previously mentioned. With the loss of the shortcut from Pacific to Commercial Drive to 28, traffic will be significantly increased at this light. They decided it would be too disruptive to the businesses in the southeast corner of the intersection to put in a cloverleaf. Essentially, Tart lumber and a few other businesses would have had to move out.

 

That's exactly right. An engineer with the project told me that taking Tart Lumber was cost-prohibitive - so no ramp for northbound 28. That intersection should be a full cloverleaf, same as the Route 606 interchange.

 

I'm trying to picture what you are saying...

Where are they putting the light? Once you cross over 28 and are on Church Road?

Thank you!

 

Yes, just past the cloverleaf.