Fairfax County residents got an early Christmas present, Tuesday night, when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) unveiled Alternative D as its recommended route for the Battlefield Bypass.
The choice was revealed at a meeting of the Citizens Advisory Board for this project, as part of the project's draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). But it won't be released to the general public until probably sometime next month.
"I am very relieved because this is just what we had wanted and were hoping for," said Centreville's Judy Heisinger, one of two local representatives on the advisory board. "And it shows that they were listening to the citizens' groups — the WFCCA [West Fairfax County Citizens Association Land-Use Committee] and the Sully District Council [Land-Use and Transportation Committee], so we're very encouraged by this."
Mandated by Congress in 1988, the project closes routes 29 and 234 through the Manassas National Battlefield Park and channels the traffic elsewhere. And where, specifically, to send it has been a controversial topic for the past 17 months.
Several alternatives were proposed — two of which would have bisected Fairfax National Estates, and another couple which would have had dire effects on the Bull Run Estates community. Changes were made, here and there, and finally — after much delay — the FHWA is recommending a route.
Alternative D begins at the Route 234 Bypass/I-66 Interchange, heading north on the western edge of the Park. It comes off Route 29, just west of Luck Stone Quarry and cuts the northern corner of the Battlefield Park. And fortuitously for local residents, it goes south of the Fields of Dreams and south of Fairfax National Estates — and, therefore, further away from the homes in that community.
"However, there's a little piece of newly acquired, Fairfax County Park Authority land, south of the Fields of Dreams, that D would go through," said Heisinger. "But something might be worked out so that [visitors] would have access to the parkland, as well as to the existing bike and equestrian trails in the Battlefield Park."
The route also crosses Bull Run Stream twice, but wildlife would have access to use the stream bed. This alternative may use portions of the proposed Tri-County Parkway, but its alignment has not yet been chosen.
The Battlefield Bypass will be four lanes and 120 feet wide. And because of topography and tree-save areas, the road will sometimes be lower than the landscape so it will have as little negative visual impact as possible.
Alternative D was chosen for several reasons. The other alternatives would have impacted more homes, businesses and acres of wetlands, as well as Civil War and prehistoric resources. Alternative D would be 8.6 miles and cost some $137.8 million for construction plus land and right-of-way acquisition.
Overall, said Heisinger, "They did a very thorough study, I think, in coming up with their decision." Virginia Run's Jim Hart was also pleased. "I'd still like to read the draft EIS but, from a Fairfax County standpoint, Alternative D was the least objectionable choice. The southern route would have been too disruptive to Bull Run Estates, and anything farther north would have been disruptive to Fairfax National."
And by running west of the quarry, noted Hart, this route would be far enough away from homes in Virginia Run. "It was pretty scary when we saw those first few [alternative] maps, but they listened to objections from all three neighborhoods."
When the draft EIS is released to the public, it will be available over the Internet, at the county Government Center and in the libraries. A public hearing is tentatively planned for February at Stonewall Jackson High in Manassas. The FHWA expects to have the alternative agreed upon by June and will then look for funds to build it.