This article was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday allocated millions of dollars toward infrastructure upgrades that include a new pedestrian bridge and funding for a wildlife refuge.
The body authorized $2.6 million for construction of the one-mile Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge Segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail that runs parallel to the Potomac River. The project, which will provide direct pedestrian access to the Rippon Virginia Railway Express station, will be funded through a combination of leftover pandemic relief aid, proffer funds from private developers and public transit taxes.
Additionally, an appropriation of $1.4 million will fund a new roundabout in western Prince William and a pedestrian bridge in Woodbridge over Route 1 that will connect the area’s Virginia Railway Express station to the future North Woodbridge Town Center mixed-use development. The roundabout will be constructed to reduce speeds and improve safety at the intersections of Estate Manor Drive, Rollins Ford Road, Song Sparrow Road, and Yellow Hammer Drive, according to county officials.
The roundabout project was awarded $580,000, and the North Woodbridge Pedestrian Bridge project was awarded $4 million in congressionally-directed spending, which will cover up to 80% of eligible project costs, according to county staff.
The board also approved $1.2 million as part of an agreement with the Prince William County School board and a 2018 agreement reached with the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to extend Summit School Road and widen Telegraph Road in Woodbridge near where a new school is planned.
The project spans a little more than a mile and involves extending Summit School Road from Kinnicutt Drive to Telegraph Road as a four-lane divided roadway. The project would also widen Telegraph Road from Caton Hill Road to Prince William Parkway from two to four travel lanes, as well as construct a median, a sidewalk and a shared-use path for additional foot traffic.
“The county’s Department of Transportation is very excited about being a part of these local and regional multimodal projects, as they will continue to better the transportation network for our entire community and enhance the economic development opportunities in the county,” said county Department of Transportation Director Rick Canizales.
Also approved was a $40.7 million extension to University Boulevard from Devlin to Wellington Roads near Bristow as a four-lane roadway with four lanes, sidewalk and a shared-use path.
Funding for the four-lane project includes $30.7 million from the federal Regional Surface Transportation Program. The Virginia State Revenue Sharing Program provided $5 million that the county must match using NVTA local transportation funding, according to a news release from the county.
The county is also set to receive $53 million in NVTA regional funds available in 2026 to pay for design and rights-of-way acquisition related to the University Boulevard project. The Prince William County Department of Transportation expects that additional money from outside sources will fully fund construction as the project continues. The estimated total cost of the project is $94.8 million.
The Virginia Department of Transportation has authorized the Prince William County Department of Transportation to oversee and manage the project.
The board approved each appropriation unanimously. Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson was absent from the meeting when the vote was held. Lawson, who arrived later, was delayed because of a high school graduation ceremony held in the afternoon.
