Relief is on the way for thousands of people who get stuck in traffic while commuting to and from Fort Belvoir in northern Virginia.
The U.S. Department of Defense is giving Virginia $180 million in grants to widen a 3.5-mile stretch of Route 1 near the military base.
Route 1 will be expanded to six lanes between Telegraph Road and Mount Vernon Highway. New pedestrian and bicycle lanes also will be added.
The widened road is expected to improve access to Fort Belvoir and accommodate the increased traffic generated by the Base Realignment and Closure project.
“Widening Route 1 is critical to ensuring a viable transportation network in the Fort Belvoir area,” Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a written press release. “Our nation’s wounded warriors, veterans and their families deserve to have reliable and safe access to Fort Belvoir’s new Community Hospital. Moreover, every day, commuters are stuck in long traffic queues on Route 1… this widening will improve the quality of life for thousands of commuters and visitors.”
Construction could begin in 2013 and take up to three years to complete.
