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鈥檚 director of transportation, spearheaded a presentation on the initiative during the board鈥檚 meeting Wednesday.
Canizales said the widening for the 2.5-mile stretch is not yet included within the county鈥檚 Capital Improvement Program, nor is the project鈥檚 projected debt service in the county executive鈥檚 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鈥檚 past widening of Route 1.
鈥淗ow do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,鈥� Canizales quipped to the board.
Funding for 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鈥� presentation before the board. The county reimbursed the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for nearly $7.5 million in funds for the cancelled project.
Canizales鈥� 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 鈥済onna have to prioritize鈥� ahead of its April 14 budget markup and April 21 budget adoption 鈥� with 鈥渢ough choices鈥� and 鈥渇inancial discipline鈥� needed in the coming weeks.
Jefferson cited funding for parks and trails projects as well as the county鈥檚 long-anticipated indoor sports complex in Woodbridge as top pursuits.
Kenny Boddye, the Democratic Occoquan District supervisor, encouraged the widening project, opining 鈥渢his is a much more tangible thing鈥� 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 鈥渞egional artery,鈥� 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鈥檚 desires for the project included a shared-use path 鈥� which eventually led to the installation of , 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鈥檚 idea for a 鈥渕uch more surgical widening,鈥� 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.
海角精品黑料’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
