FAIRFAX STATION – Weather permitting, around 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, permanent access changes will take place on westbound Burke Centre Parkway (Route 643) at Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) as part of the Fairfax County Parkway south widening project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The access changes will be as follows:
Westbound Burke Centre Parkway left-turn lane to southbound Fairfax County Parkway
The left-turn lane from westbound Burke Centre Parkway to southbound Fairfax County Parkway will be permanently closed.
Drivers will need to use eastbound Burke Centre Parkway and southbound Route 123 (Ox Road) to reach southbound Fairfax County Parkway.
Westbound Burke Centre Parkway right-turn lanes to northbound Fairfax County Parkway
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The two right-turn lanes from westbound Burke Centre Parkway to northbound Fairfax County Parkway will be permanently reduced to one right-turn lane; this right-turn lane will be converted to a free-flow right-turn lane by mid-2027.
In addition to making Fairfax County Parkway/Burke Centre Parkway intersection improvements, the Fairfax County Parkway south widening project, which aims to reduce congestion and improve safety, operations and bicyclist/pedestrian accessibility and mobility, is:
- Widening about two miles of Fairfax County Parkway from four lanes to six between Route 123 and Nomes Court/Ladues End Lane.
- Adding a third travel lane on northbound Route 123 from Chapel Road to the bridge over Fairfax County Parkway (the third travel lane is now open to traffic).
- Installing concrete median barriers along tight curves and raised grass medians elsewhere along Fairfax County Parkway.
- Constructing a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along Fairfax County Parkway between Route 123 and Burke Centre Parkway.
- Adding a grade-separated bicyclist and pedestrian crossing just north of Burke Centre Parkway.
- Improving the Route 123 interchange by widening the beginning of the southbound Fairfax County Parkway ramp to Route 123 from one lane to two and adding a third left-turn lane on the ramp (the third left-turn lane is now open to traffic).
- Enhancing the sound wall along southbound Fairfax County Parkway between Clara Barton Drive and Route 123.
The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2027.
The project area is adjacent to the Fairfax County Parkway widening north project, which began construction in June 2024 and is also scheduled for completion in mid-2027. Once both projects are completed, Fairfax County Parkway will have six continuous through lanes on the approximately eight-mile stretch from Route 123 to Rugby Road (Route 750). The project is also near the Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange project, which began construction in December 2023 and is expected to be completed later this fall. During the summer, the traffic signal at Popes Head Road was removed and the interchange partially opened to traffic, eliminating what had been a major choke point on Fairfax County Parkway.
A temporary work zone speed limit of 45 mph is in place along Fairfax County Parkway between Route 123 and I-66. This reduced work zone speed limit will be in place for the remainder of construction for this project and the Fairfax County Parkway widening north project.
Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones. Be alert to new traffic patterns and limit distractions.
You can get traffic, work zone and incident information online at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, via the free mobile 511Virginia app, or by calling 511 in Virginia anywhere anytime.
