Rt. 15 improvements move forward

By Audrey Carpenter

At its Jan. 23 meeting, the Leesburg Town Council endorsed a $2 million request for Regional Surface Transportation Program funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for Fiscal Year 2030 for the Rt. 15 bypass interchange at Edwards Ferry Road and Fort Evans Road project.

The project consists of the development of a new grade-separated interchange on Edwards Ferry Road at the Rt. 15 bypass and will include the intersection of Ft. Evans Road. New crosswalks and sidewalks will be built along with a new shared-use path along westbound Fort Evans Road.

The project area has experienced significant commercial growth with construction of shopping centers over the past few decades and, as a result, traffic volumes are beyond the capacity of the existing at-grade signalized intersections, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.

Currently, there is heavy congestion due to high traffic volumes on Rt. 15 during peak commuter periods, as well as heavy turn movements to and from Edwards Ferry Road and Fort Evans Road. The existing road network lacks continuous sidewalks and existing conditions do not allow bicyclists and pedestrians to safely cross Rt. 15, according to VDOT.

Rt. 15, a major commuter route, averages about 50,000 vehicles a day, Edwards Ferry Road about 28,000 and Fort Evans Road about 13,000, according to VDOT studies.

A total of $181 million will be spent on engineering, construction, utility relocation and right-of-way acquisition, according to VDOT estimates. Build out is through 2030.

Battlefield Parkway at Rt. 15

At the same meeting, the Council also endorsed a double roundabout and bridge design for the intersection of Rt. 15 at Battlefield Parkway. Three design options were evaluated – the double roundabout, a diamond design and a divergent diamond style.

Taking public input into account, the Council decided to select the double roundabout option. The design acts as a natural calming feature without the need for traffic lights. The traffic circles will be on the east and west side of the bypass with a new overpass carrying Battlefield Parkway traffic over Rt. 15.

The project is estimated to cost $60 million and is a number of years away from being built, according to Town staff. With the Council’s approval, the design will be forwarded to VDOT for review and adoption.