The end of a long headache is near for commuters along Route 7 in Loudoun County, Virginia, who have been inconvenienced by a four-way traffic light at Lexington Drive in Ashburn.
The good news, straight to the point: The light will disappear on Oct. 7.
In recent years, Loudoun County and the Virginia Department of Transportation have removed many four-way lights on busy Route 7, and replaced them with cloverleaf projects, including recently at Belmont Ridge.
According to the Loudoun County government, access to Lexington Drive from Route 7 will be permanently closed on Oct. 7, after the morning rush hour, and Virginia’s Department of Transportation will turn off and work to remove the traffic light.
The light at Lexington Drive is the only traffic signal left between Leesburg and Sterling on the limited-access highway. When the light is removed, commuting traffic will flow unrestricted in the stretch.
Broad Run Supervisor Ron Meyer told WTOP in July the county board of supervisors voted to fast-track closure of Lexington Drive after years of complaints from drivers.
Although few people have turned onto or off Lexington Drive, every red light on Route 7 has required drivers to stop, in many cases causing time-consuming bottlenecks.
Starting Sept. 23, electronic message boards and detour signage will be posted along Route 7 and on Lexington Drive, informing drivers of the upcoming changes.
When access to Lexington Drive is closed off, the nearest exits for drivers on Route 7 will be Loudoun County Parkway and Ashburn Village Boulevard.
The county is in the midst of construction to allow Lexington Drive traffic to connect with Riverside Parkway, to steer clear of Route 7.
The schedule is subject to change based on weather.
