VDOT News - Northern Virginia

LEESBURG – State and local leaders celebrated a milestone in improvements at Route 7 (East Market Street) and Battlefield Parkway in Leesburg today, cutting the ribbon on a new interchange and removing the final traffic signal from Berryville to Sterling, aiming to relieve congestion and improve safety for the more than 100,000 vehicles moving through the area each day.

“With our funding partners Loudoun County, the town of Leesburg and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, we are excited to reach this milestone in another project that improves travel for all users,” said Bill Cuttler, P.E., VDOT’s Northern Virginia district construction engineer. “Drivers now have a 30-mile, signal-free trip along Route 7, and important improvements are being built that will connect bicyclists and pedestrians safely to businesses and homes in Leesburg later this summer.”

“This project is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together as a region,” said Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk. “The interchange benefits not only Town residents, but commuters traveling through Leesburg as well. We’re delighted to have been a part of moving this project forward, and delighted to see Battlefield Parkway reopen and the interchange become operational.”

“In Loudoun County, we are building a modern, efficient and multimodal transportation infrastructure to enhance the quality of life in the County,” said Phyllis J. Randall, Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. “It is critical that we continue to invest in regional, congestion-reducing solutions, such as the grade-separated interchange and the addition of a sidewalks and trails around the heavily traveled Route 7 at Battlefield Parkway Interchange.”

New Traffic Patterns for Drivers

With the opening of the interchange after the evening rush hour today, Battlefield Parkway also reopens to traffic between Russell Branch Parkway and the entrance to Marketplace at Potomac Station. This section of Battlefield Parkway had been closed since July 2020 to build the grade-separated interchange that aims to relieve congestion and improve safety.

In addition to the interchange opening, the traffic signal at Route 7 and Cardinal Park Drive will be removed overnight tonight, with the Route 7 and Cardinal Park Drive intersection to be in a permanent, right-in/right-out configuration:

• Drivers heading to Cardinal Park Drive will turn right from eastbound Route 7, and drivers on Cardinal Park Drive must turn right onto eastbound Route 7.
• To access Cardinal Park Drive from westbound Route 7, drivers can use Battlefield Parkway and Trailview Boulevard.

Also as part of the project, improvements including new second left-turn lanes from both southbound Battlefield Parkway to Fort Evans Road and from northbound River Creek Parkway to Fort Evans Road were made in summer 2020 to help move traffic during the detour.

Work Remaining Through the Fall

Drivers are asked to continue to use caution through the work zone, as construction continues through November 2021 to finish the remaining elements of the project, including:

• Adding more than a mile of auxiliary lane on eastbound Route 7 from the Leesburg Bypass to the Battlefield Parkway interchange, and from the Battlefield Parkway interchange to River Creek Parkway/Crosstrail Boulevard.
• Constructing a shared-use path along northbound Battlefield Parkway and a sidewalk along southbound Battlefield Parkway, as well as pedestrian signals and lighting. The Battlefield Parkway bridge over Route 7 will open for bicyclists and pedestrians later this summer.

Along Battlefield Parkway, drivers can expect daytime off-peak lane closures throughout the summer, as well as nighttime off-peak lane closures in late summer. Along Route 7, drivers can expect daytime and nighttime off-peak lane closures through November.

The posted speed limit along Route 7 will continue to be reduced to 45 miles per hour between the Leesburg Bypass and River Creek Parkway until construction is complete.

Wagman/Parsons is the contractor for the $59.6 million design-build contract. The project’s total cost, about $77.3 million, includes Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, federal, state, Loudoun County and Town of Leesburg funds.

Visit virginiadot.org/route7battlefield for more project information.

Follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova

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