Another piece of the Route 1 Widening project is finished. The newly completed section between Featherstone and Marys Way widened Route 1 from a four-lane undivided highway to a six-lane- divided highway with a five-foot-wide sidewalk along the road.

The 1.3-mile section of the road was built with local, regional, state and federal funding. The design for the project was approved in 2015, with the roadway construction beginning in 2020.  

“This project is yet another example of progressive moves by the county that we’re taking towards our strategic goals, because we know by easing congestion and improving mobility along the Route 1 corridor and by providing ease of access to local businesses and family friendly activities, Prince William County continues to become a premier location where people look forward to living, working and playing,” said Prince William County Chair At-Large Ann Wheeler at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completed project.  

Prince William County Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin thanked the residents and business owners who attended the ceremony for their patience as the work continued.   

“This project is truly a symbol of progress, patience, collaboration and commitment. In my engagement with the community, many have asked, ‘When will the work on Route 1 be finished?’ Well, today is the day we celebrate not only the completion of the Route 1 widening project, but also the many opportunities to come,” Franklin said.

The Route 1 widening project will improve traffic congestion and accessibility to retail, shopping, restaurants, historic Belmont Bay and the VRE station, Franklin said.

Prince William County Executive Chris Shorter spoke at the ceremony and thanked the Board for its continued support of the transportation projects across the county that top $1.3 billion.

“The size and success of the county’s transportation program is really a result and testament of using and leveraging local funds, which account for about 25 percent of that $1.3 billion, and making sure that we leverage it to obtain other transportation dollars, including from our partners at the regional, state and federal levels,” Shorter said.

Shorter thanked staff for the dedication and commitment to the project and acknowledged the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, or NVTA, and the Virginia Department of Transportation, VDOT, as critical partners to the project.

Monica Backmon, NVTA CEO, also spoke at the ceremony and noted that Route 1, which runs from Florida to Maine, impacts three localities included in NVTA’s purview. The entire region benefits from the new project’s sidewalks, connectivity, traffic reduction and better access to mass transit options, such as the Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission, or PRTC, and the Virginia Railway Express, or VRE.

“The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority exists because of projects like this,” Backmon said of the project, which is part of $64 million in regional multi-modal investment on Route 1. “It is something to celebrate, getting better access to PRTC, VRE, the other modal options again multimodal, reducing congestion. That’s why we’re here. We’re happy to partner with the county.”

Terry Yates, VDOT’s local assistance manager for the Northern Virginia District, agreed it was a project to be celebrated.

“The Route 1 project is going to be a real benefit to Prince William County,” Yates said. “It was designed to provide safe access along the corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, encourage multi modal transit options and improved traffic flow and support economic development in the area.”

Watch the Buzz video from the ceremony!