WASHINGTON — A project to improve safety at a major intersection in a historic part of Arlington officially got underway on Monday.
The safety overhaul of the popular “Five Points” intersection is part of the county’s commitment to a safer and more walkable Cherrydale neighborhood, said Bill Roberts with the Arlington Transportation Planning and Capital Projects Bureau.
The intersection is used by pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and those taking public transportation. Five roads come together there: North Quincy Street; Lee Highway (Rt. 29); Military Road; Old Dominion Drive; and what’s commonly known as Old Lee Highway.
“The main thing that we’re trying to achieve with the project is to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility throughout the area,” Roberts said. County planners have been working closely with the community on the project for several years, and they have taken the community’s input and rolled it into the final design plan, Roberts said.
The upgrade includes installing new traffic equipment, wider and higher visibility crosswalks, wider sidewalks and new streetlights. Crews will also work on improving bus stops and providing wheelchair-accessible curb ramps. The project also includes installing new bike lanes on North Quincy Street, Military Road and Lee Highway.
It will probably be a few weeks before you see dirt being turned over, Roberts said. Right now, crews are putting up signs and getting construction equipment in place. During the construction, motorists will encounter lane closures, but there will always be lanes available to get through the intersection, he said.
Pedestrians will have continuous access through the intersection during construction by way of sidewalk detours and temporary crosswalks. Several bus stops in the work area will be temporarily relocated during the project with signs alerting riders to the new locations of the temporary bus stops.
The work should be completed by next summer, Roberts said.
