Gallows Road at Merry Oaks Lane/Quantum Drive Safety Updates

Updates (as of 11/3/2021)

Following our community meeting, my office and I have been working with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT), Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD), and Dominion Energy to help move forward on short and long-term improvements.

This work led to the initial implementation of the following short-term safety improvements in October 2021. Additionally, FCPD has increased their presence in the area to potentially catch speeding vehicles.

• Installed a new, additional 35 MPH sign on southbound Gallows upstream of Gallows Branch Road
• Relocated an existing 35 MPH sign on southbound Gallows upstream of the Merry Oaks/Quantum intersection  
• Replaced an existing 25 MPH "arrow right" on southbound Gallows upstream of Merry Oaks that warns drivers to slow down to 25 MPH as they make the approach to turn westbound onto Merry Oaks
• Installed a new 25 MPH "arrow right" sign on southbound Gallows at the right turn to westbound Merry Oaks (to further warn drivers to slow down and supplement the above sign)
• Installed a new Object Marker warning sign on southbound Gallows about 145 feet south of the intersection directly in front of the wooden telephone pole
• Removed the existing flex posts in the centerline/median area on southbound Gallows immediately south of the Merry Oaks/Quantum intersection and install new Chevron Arrow ("right") signs for greater visibility and warning of the curve to the right on southbound Gallows
• Installed "puppy tracks" (line lane skip marks) on Gallows through the intersection at Merry Oaks/Quantum in both the southbound & northbound lanes to aid motorists as they travel on Gallows through the Gallows/Merry Oaks/Quantum intersection.

We met on-site with representatives from FCPD, FCDOT, and VDOT in late October 2021 to continue to evaluate short, mid, and long-term improvements for the intersection and for the area as a whole. As a result, we received commitment form VDOT to make some additional immediate improvements, to be finalized in the coming months:

• Install "puppy tracks" through the intersection on Gallows Road to delineate the on-road bike lane on both the northbound and southbound sides
• Convert the existing two-white line crosswalk across Gallows to a High Visibility Crosswalk
• Refresh the existing pavement markings along Gallows Road on both northbound and southbound lanes in the proximity of the intersection 

In addition, FCDOT and VDOT will continue to engage and prepare plans for mid and long-term studies along the Gallows corridor that are now funded by the Board of Supervisors. Stay tuned for additional updates along the corridor.

Initial Community Meeting

Date: Thursday, September 9, 2021
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30PM
Where: Zoom
Agenda:

• Introductions
  • Supervisor Palchik and Providence District staff
  • HOAs (Courts of Tysons, Merry Oaks Court, Townhomes on the Reserve)
  • Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT)
  • Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD)
  • Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
  • Dominion Energy
• Background
• Initial Concerns and Suggestions
  • Results of the Traffic Study - FCPD
• Additional Questions