Transportation Alert:
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) conducted a "phasing analysis" to determine the projected order in which transportation improvements should be implemented in the Seven Corners area to improve operations and mobility for all users. The improvements were recommended in the Seven Corners Comprehensive Plan following the completion of the Seven Corners Visioning Study conducted between 2012 and 2015.
The recommended construction phases are:
View: Seven Corners Phasing Study Final Report and Technical Appendix (updated October 2023)
What is the Seven Corners Phasing Study? | The present Seven Corners Phasing Study is part of a project implementation process that starts with planning, moves into design, and concludes with construction of the improvements. Prior planning efforts focused on what improvements needed to be made. The Phasing Study helps transition from planning to design by identifying what portion of the project should be built first and the order for the remaining segments. Future efforts will then develop detailed designs for the project. |
What part of the project will be built first? | The first phase of the project, Phase 1, will consist of a portion of the Ring Road from Arlington Boulevard in the west to Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) in the south. This portion of the project provides immediate improvements for travel delay while constructing the streets that will be necessary for detours during future phases of the project. |
Why won't the main interchange area be built first? | One of the main goals of the project is to simplify the complex intersection of Broad Street, Route 7, Wilson Boulevard, Sleepy Hollow Road, and Route 50 Service Roads. The first part of rebuilding this intersection is shifting some of the travel demand and the need for some turn movements away from this intersection. Building the Ring Road from Arlington Boulevard on the west to Leesburg Pike on the South enables some of the traffic to shift away from this intersection. In addition, reconfiguring the intersection will require replacement of the bridges which will necessitate detours during construction. The Ring Road will likely be part of the detour route to help maintain traffic flow through the construction process. |
Will I be able to walk and bike more easily through Seven Corners? |
The reconstructed Seven Corners interchange will include high-quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the transportation network. Dedicated two-way cycle tracks and wide sidewalks will be provided along the ring road and Leesburg Pike, providing new bicycle and pedestrian connections across Arlington Boulevard. The cycle track is being constructed on the inside of the ring road to minimize the conflict points with the Arlington Boulevard on- and off-ramps. This also puts the cycle track adjacent to the transit center when it is proposed to be moved in Phase 2. Shared-use paths will be provided on other streets to enable bicycle and pedestrian access. |
Will this project make the main interchange at Seven Corners easier to navigate? | The reconfigured main intersection will simplify vehicle as well as bicycle and pedestrian movement in the area. There will be four points of entry rather than seven, as is the case today, making it much easier to navigate. Confusing travel movements and short merge areas will be removed. In addition, travel delay at this intersection will be significantly reduced. |
Will this project improve traffic? | When complete, the project will improve traffic flow and will implement bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the area. Phase 1 of the project will reduce the average amount of delay to move through the area by more than 20 percent or about one minute for each vehicle traveling through the area. In addition, the simplified main intersection will be much easier for drivers along with pedestrians and bicyclist to navigate. |
Why is Wilson Boulevard not connected to Sleepy Hollow Road in future phases? | The County Comprehensive Plan envisions a direct connection between Sleepy Hollow Road and Arlington Boulevard. When this connection was analyzed, it was determined that the transportation network would experience significant travel delay because heavy travel between Arlington Boulevard and Wilson Boulevard would be required to make multiple turns to traverse the area. FCDOT then analyzed a direct connection between Wilson Boulevard and Arlington Boulevard in the west. The connection to Arlington Boulevard enables the high travel demand along this route to make the connection more easily thus reducing travel delay for the entire area. |
Can the footprint of the ring road be reduced? | FCDOT is seeking to implement transportation improvements which will serve the multimodal travel demand in the area with minimal additional ROW. The Ring Road needs two lanes in each direction to help distribute travel demand across the network and reduce travel delay. A more narrow Ring Road was studied and it was determined that fewer travel lanes on the Ring Road would cause the broader transportation network to experience major delays that would inhibit access. Well-designed public spaces and high quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be designed to create a more pedestrian-scaled profile for the area. |
Has a Ring Road been used before as a traffic modification in Fairfax County? | In the previous study of Seven Corners, a variety of approaches to improve the transportation network were considered. While each approach differed somewhat, each developed a roadway network with complete streets that would ultimately serve a new grid of streets envisioned for the area. This approach is standard practice for FCDOT in areas that are planned to experience redevelopment. FCDOT has planned similar approaches for Tysons, Lincolnia, and multiple communities along Richmond Highway. |
Was a traffic circle considered instead of the Ring Road concept? | Different conceptual designs were considered to address the transportation infrastructure needs of Seven Corners including a traffic circle. The previous study determined that a Ring Road would best serve the area as it disperses traffic, connects the community, and serves as a multimodal main street for a completely new transportation network envisioned for the area, also considering the space constraints. The study concluded with maintaining grade separation of Route 50 in the interchange area as a way to separate regional and local traffic. The transportation study report with the evaluation of different conceptual designs can be accessed through the link here. |
Is this project funded? | FCDOT is actively pursuing various grants, including Smart scale funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia and Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) to advance Phase 1. Funding sources for Phases 2, 3, and 4 will be pursued once funding for Phase 1 has been secured. |
How much will the project cost? | Phase 1, which constructs the Ring Road between Arlington Boulevard in the west and Leesburg Pike in the south, is estimated to cost between $130-$140 million and is subject to change as design is advanced. The cost estimates for subsequent phases of the project will be developed in more advanced stages of engineering design. |
When will this project be built? | The construction start is contingent upon the availability of local, state and federal funds. After design, utility coordination and right-of-way acquisition, the anticipated time to construct Phase 1 is about two years. |
Will the County need to acquire property for this project? | Yes. Property will have to be acquired to provide right-of-way both for the new Ring Road, and for the new bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Leesburg Pike. FCDOT is working to minimize the amount of property needed and will work through future design process to minimize impacts to properties. |
Was environmental and noise assessment conducted as part of this study? | The environmental evaluation and noise assessments are important steps to identify specific potential impacts from a project as well as potential mitigations for those impacts. Detailed environmental and noise assessments will be conducted as part of an environmental process that will be completed once funding is identified for the project. Environmental and noise processes need to be completed in a reasonable timeline prior to construction of the project to provide the most relevant results. So, if a project has to wait for funding, the analysis can become out of date and may need to be updated or completed again. |
In November 2022, FCDOT concluded its final round of virtual public meetings during which the team presented the findings of the Seven Corners Phasing Study. Since June 2020, FCDOT has conducted technical analysis of future transportation conditions; incorporated feedback received from previous rounds of outreach; and worked with various stakeholders to identify a recommended phasing approach to provide and improve the roadway, bicycle, pedestrian and transit facilities, as envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan.
The recommended construction phases are:
View: Seven Corners Phasing Study Presentation - November 2022
Watch: Seven Corners Phasing Study Virtual Public Meetings - November 2022
The official comment period has ended; please use the red feedback button at the bottom of this page to contact the project team.
The Fairfax County of Department of Transportation held two virtual public meetings on Nov. 16 and 17, 2021, to provide an update on the phasing study that is evaluating the order of transportation improvements for the Seven Corners Community Business Center (CBC). FCDOT collected feedback from residents, community stakeholders, and commuters regarding the initial multimodal improvements to be implemented in the area. The phases for initial improvements were developed considering the feedback received from the first round of public meetings held in February 2021 and will be presented along with the technical analysis. The feedback from the meeting will help determine the initial transportation improvements to be implemented by FCDOT as funding becomes available.
The initial improvements could include all or parts of:
Watch:
Comments closed on Dec. 10, 2021. View: Seven Corners Study Outreach Summary - March 2022
The Fairfax County of Department of Transportation held two virtual community meetings on Feb. 3 and Feb. 4, 2021, to provide an update on the study that will define the phasing of transportation improvements for the Seven Corners Community Business Center (CBC).
FCDOT asked for feedback from residents and commuters in the area regarding where and when they experience travel delays as well as where they walk or bike in the area. Comments were accepted through Feb. 26.
The results of the feedback, in combination with the technical analysis, will help develop the order in which the planned transportation improvements are implemented by FCDOT over the course of the next 15 years. FCDOT plans to hold the second round of public meetings in Fall 2021 to present the potential construction phasing of transportation improvements around 2030 to receive feedback from public and stakeholders.
The improvements include:
Click on the image to enlarge.
The Seven Corners Visioning and Study, which took place from 2012 to 2015, included a community task force that invited local residents, property and business owners, community and civic organizations, and others to participate in an open discussion about the future of Seven Corners. Aspects of the opportunities and challenges facing the intersection were explored and this information was provided to the community. The task force completed its recommendations in March 2015 and on July 28, 2015, the Board of Supervisors held a public hearing and adopted a Plan Amendment 2013-I-B2 for the Seven Corners Community Business Center (CBC).
As part of the adoption of Plan Amendment 2013-I-B2, ten Follow-On Motions were approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to address issues that the community expressed interest in. In response to Follow-On Motions #4 and #6, Fairfax County Department of Transportation is conducting a phasing analysis for the transportation improvements recommended in the Seven Corners Comprehensive Plan. This effort will result in developing recommendations on the projected order in which transportation improvements should be implemented to maintain a balance between the future development of Seven Corners and the associated transportation infrastructure over time.