FORT BELVOIR, Va. – A new road through Fort Belvoir will alleviate a lot of commuting headaches in Fairfax County.
Jeff Todd Way opened on Monday to commuters looking to get from U.S. 1 to Telegraph Road without driving around the base.
Jeff McKay, Fairfax County supervisor, calls the road a game changer.
“Since Woodlawn Road was closed … you’re largely, from the commuting standpoint, been held hostage,” McKay said.
Woodlawn Road was closed in 2001 for security reasons, and since then drivers were forced to add 10 miles to their commute. During rush hour, that meant leaving a lot earlier for work.
“It can be 45 minutes to go 10 miles during rush hour,” McKay said of the area without the new Jeff Todd Way.
Once the Department of Defense and the county agreed on where to build a more secure road, Fairfax County stepped in with the money to make the road four lanes instead of two.
The county hopes this will also be a boost to the economy, as people can easily spend a night dining out on the Route 1 corridor, head to the new Wegman’s that is being built in the area or head to the revitalized Springfield mall will be reopening late this year.
The road is named after Jeff Todd, a well-known area business man who was tragically killed in a car accident. He was the former head of of the Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, the two districts that are connected with this new road.
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