The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is exploring widening Route 28 from four to six lanes spanning Liberia Avenue in Manassas to Fairfax County, with multiple project funding sources up for consideration.
Rick Canizales, the county’s director of transportation, spearheaded a presentation on the initiative during the board’s meeting Wednesday.
Canizales said the widening for the 2.5-mile stretch is not yet included within the county’s Capital Improvement Program, nor is the project’s projected debt service in the county executive’s five-year plan.
Nevertheless, Canizales said his team is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation to create a piecemeal approach similar to the county’s past widening of Route 1.
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” Canizales quipped to the board.
Funding for the now-cancelled Route 28 bypass included $200 million authorized by voters in a 2019 bond referendum, with the cost of the widening estimated at $400 million as of 2020, according to Canizales’ presentation before the board. The county reimbursed the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for nearly $7.5 million in funds for the cancelled project.
Canizales’ presentation sought direction from supervisors on four items:
- Should staff continue to move the project forward?
- Will bonds be utilized to fund the project?
- What funding will be used to pay the debt-financing of the project?
- Should VDOT continue working on preliminary engineering/designs to move this project forward?
Chair Deshundra Jefferson, a Democrat, said the board is “gonna have to prioritize” ahead of its April 14 budget markup and April 21 budget adoption – with “tough choices” and “financial discipline” needed in the coming weeks.
Jefferson cited funding for parks and trails projects as well as the county’s long-anticipated indoor sports complex in Woodbridge as top pursuits.
Kenny Boddye, the Democratic Occoquan District supervisor, encouraged the widening project, opining “this is a much more tangible thing” to talk to community members about.
Canizales added the ongoing Yorkshire Small Area Plan in the Coles District will guide the design of the Route 28 project.
Republican Yesli Vega, the Coles District supervisor, emphasized the value of Route 28 as a “regional artery,” with the ensuing need for matching funds and grants in addition to existing revenue-sharing agreements with the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.
State Sen. Danica Roem, D-30th District, said surveys and town halls during 2019 yielded 1,334 responses regarding Route 28 redesign plans.
The public’s desires for the project included a shared-use path – which eventually led to the installation of a 1.75 mile-long “meandering sidewalk” at five feet wide, Roem said, to avoid utility relocation and eminent domain issues, as well as a raised median along Route 28.
Roem also praised At-Large Planning Commissioner Mark Scheufler’s idea for a “much more surgical widening,” which would include an OmniRide bus connection from the Manassas Park area to the Vienna metro station, which she said should be undertaken concurrently with any Route 28 redesign plans.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
