Updated: Route 7 to Expand to Six Lanes to Ease Congestion

Route 7, Leesburg Pike, will be expanded by one lane in each direction from Tysons Corner to Reston thanks to $10 million in funding from the state of Virginia, Dranesville Supervisor John Foust said Wednesday.

Foust has championed expanding Route 7 from four to six lanes to relieve current congestion and to prepare for even greater traffic as the redevelopment of Tysons Corner into a city gets under way. The $10 million will pay for engineering studies to determine how much the roadway can be widened.

"In my opinion, it is critical that Route 7 be widened from Tysons Corner to Reston Avenue to handle existing and projected traffic to and through Tysons Corner," Foust said in an e-mail message. "When the Tysons Corner Comprehensive Plan was approved, I had that project added to the list of transportation funding priorities in the Plan," he said.

State Del. Barbara Comstock, R-Dranesville, said Thursday afternoon, "I spoke with and wrote to Secretary Connaughton about the critical importance of widening Route 7.  I am pleased that Secretary Connaughton has included our request for the project money as part of our overall transportation efforts.  I copatroned the transportation plan that passed last week, she said.  "It has the overwhelming support of business and transportation groups throughout the state. "

Jim Phelps, chairman of the Transportation Committee of the McLean Citizens Association, announced the widening Tuesday at the end of the committee's monthly meeting. "Widening Route 7 from the Dulles Toll Road to Reston Avenue will relieve congestion into and out of Tysons Corner," he said. "The overall widening of Route 7 between the Dulles Toll Road and Leesburg will alleviate significant congestion along Route 7 and in the surrounding neighborhoods,” Phelps said in an e-mail.

There is already a project to add the lanes from Reston Avenue to Rolling Holly Road near the Loudoun border, Foust and Phelps said.

State Senator Janet Howell, D-Reston, McLean, was key to getting the funding for the seven-mile expansion, Foust said.

Remember a while ago when the Virginia Department of Transportation found it had more money for road projects?

"The county submitted a list of projects that the county asked to be funded. ... At my request, $10 million for preliminary engineering for the Route 7 widening project was included on the county's list," Foust explained.

When the state announced the projects that would be funded with the newly found money, the Route 7 widening project was not included, Foust said. "My understanding is that after Janet Howell was informed that the project was not included on the list she spoke to (Virginia) Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton about the need for the funding, " Foust said. "Yesterday, I heard from Janet that Connaughton confirmed the project would be funded. Until I speak to Janet, I do not know how much funding she was able to get but I heard it will be at least at the amount requested by the county."

We sent an inquiry to Sen. Howell but she has not yet responded.

Total daily traffic on Route 7 north of the Dulles Toll Road  is 65,000, according to Fairfax County.