New status and route number for PW Parkway

The Commonwealth Transportation Board Feb. 15 reclassified Prince William Parkway as a “primary road,” making it eligible for new funding and maintenance priorities. Fairfax County Parkwayand Franconia-Springfield Parkway also were reclassified in like fashion.

As primary roads, the routes can receive federal funding for paving, guardrail, bridge improvements and other projects. Federal funding typically covers 80 percent of the cost to maintain interstates and primary roads, with the remaining 20 percent from state funds, according to a news release from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

The Prince William Parkway, now designated as Rt. 3000,  which runs from US 1 to VA 234, will be renamed Rt. 294.  The 16-mile road carries between 25,000 and 54,000 vehicles per day, according to a VDOT news release.

The Fairfax County Parkway (Rt. 7100), which runs from US 1 to VA 7, will be renamed Rt. 286. The 32-mile road carries between 22,000 and 75,000 vehicles per day.

The Franconia-Springfield Parkway (Rt. 7900), which runs from Beulah Road to the Fairfax County Parkway, will be renamed Rt. 289. The four-mile road carries between 53,000 and 57,000 vehicles per day, according to VDOT.

Over the next three months, VDOT crews will replace signs with the new route numbers and add more signs indicating “Old Route 7100,” “Old Route 3000,” and “Old Route 7900.” Drivers will see the old route number alongside the new route number for about a year so that hotels, businesses, map companies, etc. have ample time to update their materials. 

According to the news release, roads may be considered for the transfer from secondary to primary when they meet a majority of certain criteria, such as carrying a minimum traffic volume; carrying a minimum percentage of out-of-state, truck, tractor-trailer, or bus traffic; and serving as a link for highways, county seats or sites of historic or scenic interest.

According to VDOT, there are now about 470 miles of primary roads in northern Virginia, and 8,000 miles of primary roads statewide.