Under Construction: Route 29 Widening in Fairfax County

Please note: The extended left-turn lane from southbound Stringfellow Road to northbound Route 29 and the extended left-turn lane from northbound Clifton Road to southbound Route 29 opened to traffic in November.

Hey Stringfellow Rd and Clifton Rd drivers, we hope you're liking the longer left-turn lanes at Rt 29 in #Fairfax! They were extended as part of the ongoing Route 29 Widening Project.

More: https://t.co/6mHWpoNCaB pic.twitter.com/hBkHkanskE

— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) November 21, 2023

This project is reconstructing and widening 1.5 miles of Route 29 (Lee Highway) from four to six lanes between Union Mill Road and Buckleys Gate Drive. It will relieve a major bottleneck during AM and PM peak hours, with lengthy backups occurring in particular at the signal for Stringfellow/Clifton roads (Route 645).

The project is also correcting vertical alignment to improve sight distance, adding shared-use paths on both sides of Route 29 and providing connectivity to pedestrian/bicycle trails at the Fairfax County Parkway/West Ox Road interchange. 

Route 29 within the project limits averages 30,000 vehicles a day.

Estimated Costs
Preliminary Engineering: $5.5 million
Right of Way Acquisition and Utility Relocation: $9.7 million
Construction: $81.8 million
Total: $97 million

This project is financed with federal, state (including Smart Scale) and county funding, as well as part of the concession fee provided under the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Project Comprehensive Agreement.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in March.

TY @PatHerrity @SullySupervisor @fairfaxcounty @TheDewberryWay & Shirley Construction for joining us to break ground on improvements on Rt 29 from Union Mill Rd to Buckleys Gate Dr in #Fairfax! Work is set to finish spring 2026.

More: https://t.co/X15xGhPOy4 pic.twitter.com/j1S9HXfya1

— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) March 8, 2023

Benefits 

This project aims to reduce congestion, improve safety, operations and access management, and enhance bicyclist and pedestrian accessibility and connectivity.

Major Milestones 

Public Information Meeting - October 2018
Design Public Hearing - June 2019
Begin Right of Way Acquisition - August 2021
Award Design-Build Contract - May 2022
Begin Construction - February 2023
Groundbreaking Ceremony - March 2023
"Pardon Our Dust" Meeting - April 2023
Final Completion - Spring 2026