Public Information Meeting: Realignment of Old Courthouse Road at Besley Road

County of Fairfax, Virginia
Department of Transportation
Public Information Meeting
Realignment of Old Courthouse
Road @ Besley Road
Wolftrap Elementary School
May 31, 2016

2
List of Staff Members
• Fairfax County Department of Transportation
– Tom Biesiadny, Director
– W. Todd Minnix, Chief, Transportation Design Division
– James Beall, Section Chief, TDD
– Seyed Nabavi, Project Manager
– Chris Wells, Pedestrian Coordinator
– Vanessa Aguayo, Project Coordinator
• Parsons Transportation Group
– Krishna Potturi, Project Manager
– Greg Relyea, Project Engineer
– Bryon Johnston, Sr. Communication Specialist
• Virginia Department of Transportation
– Randy Dittberner, Regional Traffic Engineer

3
Location Map

4
Project Purpose and Goals
• Spot Improvement Project
– Eliminate flooding of the roadway by raising the
roadway and providing a structure that can
accommodate the 25 year storm.
– Improving roadway safety for vehicles,
pedestrians and bicyclists by providing VDOT
standard design criteria.

5
Last Meeting Comments and Concerns
• Speeding/Accidents
• Safe Pedestrian Crossing
• Pedestrian Access
• Intersecting Roadways/Driveway Sight Distances
• Aesthetics
• Right of Way Impacts
• Stream/Environmental Impacts
• Maintenance of Traffic During Construction

6
Speeding/Accidents
• The design Speed has been reduced to the posted
speed limit of 25 mph.
• The sub-standard s-curve has been redesigned to
meet current VDOT design criteria for a 25 mph
curve.
• The Project has kept the S shape curve to reduce
operating speeds.

7
Speeding/Accidents
• Project has introduced a pedestrian refuge island
which acts as a traffic calming measure as well as
increasing safety of pedestrians and bicyclists
attempting to cross Old Courthouse Road.

8
Safe Pedestrian Crossing
• A Pedestrian Refuge Island is added to the
project.
• The crossing location will be at the intersection of
Proffit Road where it provides the best sight
distance for pedestrians and drivers.

9
Pedestrian Access
• A 5 foot wide concrete sidewalk has been added to the north side of the roadway.
• A 10’ wide Asphalt shared use path is located on the south side of the roadway.

10
Intersection/Driveway Sight Distances
• The required sight distance for 25 mph design speed
is 240 feet.
• Project is providing more than 240 feet of sight
distance for all driveways and intersections “within
the project limit”.

11
Aesthetics
• Bridge fascia treatments can be provided during
construction.

12
Aesthetics

13
Typical Section

Conceptual Design

Conceptual Profile

16
Stormwater Management Design
Old Courthouse Road:
Watershed Difficult Run Watershed
Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 020700081004
Floodplain Zone A (area subject to inundation by
1% annual chance flood event)
Design Storm 25 Year Storm
The project will be designed as a closed system. Inlets/Manholes will be
provided to capture stormwater runoff within the limits of the project.
Ditches will be eliminated.
No Stormwater Management facility is allowed in the floodplain.
Nutrient Credits will be purchased to meet the water quality criteria and
requirements.

17
Environmental Inventory
• Project is locally funded.
• Phase 1 Cultural Resources Survey is under review
by FCPA Cultural Resource Management and
Protection Division.
• Wetland Mitigation Needed
– Wetland delineation is complete. (shown on plan)
• Stream Mitigation Needed
• The following reports have been submitted to the
Army Corps of Engineers (ACE)
– Preliminary Environmental report
– Threatened and Endangered Species Habitat Survey
report
– Wetland delineation report

18
Maintenance of Traffic During Construction

19
Detour Plan For Besley Road
The access to Besley Road will be closed for about 6-9 months.
Travel time = 5 mins

20
Project Cost & Schedule
Schedule:
Design Completion Feb 2019
Land Acquisition and Utility Relocation Mar 2018 – Mar 2019
Construction June 2019 – September 2020

21
Questions/Answers Session

22
Comment 1: Project Premise and Solution
• The roadway is owned and maintained by VDOT
and not the County. As such any changes to the
horizontal or vertical alignment of the roadway has
to meet current VDOT design criteria.
• The roadway drainage will be designed as a
closed system with curb & gutter and inlets
collecting water and routing it to the outfall/stream.
• The roadway is to be upgraded to the latest VDOT
design standards.

23
Comment 2: Project Funding
• At this time the project is estimated $2M more
than the initial funding estimate. By the time of
construction a more accurate estimate will be
developed and necessary funding will be allocated
to construct the project.
• If there are any changes to the scope, Fairfax
County DOT will present the new scope to the
community before moving forward with design
and/or construction.

24
Comment 3: Old Couthouse Road as a major
access road to/from Tysons Corner
• Old Courthouse Road is designated as an “Urban
Minor Arterial” Roadway. While the area is
residential and has a more rural atmosphere, the
roadway designation is set by VDOT.
– Note: Fairfax County is designated by VDOT as “Urban”.
• The Roadway is designed in accordance with
latest VDOT standards for an Urban Minor Arterial.

25
Comment 4: Bicycle Path to No-where
• The on-road bike lanes in the interim will be
marked as a shoulder until the rest of the facility is
built on the Old Courthouse Road.
• Bicycles can use shoulders.
• Once the project is complete, no widening is
anticipated in this segment.

26
Comment 5: Eliminate Straightening of the
Road
• When a road is reconstructed, it has to comply with the
latest design standards and be safe for all modes of
transportation.
• We have maintained an S shape curve to the extent
possible that meets the requirements for a 25 mph design
speed.
• A roundabout will have a larger footprint and will have
more impact to adjacent properties and the environment.
Typically, they are designed at 4 or more legged
intersections with heavy turning movements. There is no
engineering value in proposing a roundabout.

27
Comment 6: Storm Drainage Improvements
• A low head pipe under the road would not solve the
flooding problem and does not meet the VDOT
requirements. The existing 46” x 66” horizontal
elliptical corrugated metal pipe is inadequate.
• To satisfy VDOT criteria for Urban Minor Arterial, the
proposed crossing is designed to pass the 25 year‐
design storm with 18 inches of freeboard relative to
the road shoulder.

28
Comment 6: Storm Drainage Improvements
• A Hydrology & Hydraulic Analysis Study is ongoing
that must be reviewed and approved by the County’s
Floodplain Manager, the US Army Corps, and FEMA
if necessary.
• We are attempting to design the roadway such that a
Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) of the floodplain
would not be required by FEMA.

29
Comment 7: Access to Old Courthouse Road
• The access to Besley Road will be closed for about 6-9
months. The closure is due to the difference between
the existing and proposed grades. (See Detour Plan)
• Besley Road traffic will be detoured via Boise Avenue,
Gelding Lane to Arabian Avenue or Trap Road during
the closure period.
• Old Courthouse Road will remain open to traffic during
construction. Periodic temporary lane closures, utilizing
flagmen, will be required.

30
Comment 8: Traffic control and schedule during
construction
• Phase 1: Traffic to be maintained on existing
roadway. Construct temporary pavement northside of
existing Old Courthouse Road.
• Phase 2: Shift Traffic to newly constructed temporary
pavement on northside. Construct southside widening
to the new profile. Construct temporary pavement.
• Phase 3: Construct crossovers to connect temporary
pavement to existing Old Courthouse Road.

31
Comment 8: Traffic control and schedule during
construction
• Phase 4: Shift Traffic to newly constructed temporary
pavement on the southside. Construct finished grade
of northside of proposed Old Courthouse Road.
• Phase 5: Shift traffic to northside finished grade.
Remove any remaining temporary pavement,
construct final curb and gutter, sidewalk, shared use
path, and pedestrian refuge Island. Add final layer
finished grade asphalt, install signs, pavement
marking, and seed finished grade

32
Comment 9: Erosion Control
• The project will be designed to satisfy all Virginia
Department of Environmental Quality , VDOT and
County requirements. Sufficient erosion and
sediment control will be set in place to prevent
impacting the stream and Chesapeake Bay.
• We have completed wetland delineation and the
report has been submitted to ACE for review. A
Jurisdictional Determination meeting is being
scheduled.

33
Comment 9: Erosion Control
• Project will require a permit for the ACE for wetland
and stream impacts. FCDOT will comply with all
permit requirements.

34
Comment 10: Environmental Study and
Documentation
• The environmental inventory documentation has
been submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers.
• The environmental inventory will be available to the
public once it has been finalized.

Public Information Meeting: Realignment of Old Courthouse Road at Besley Road

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Public Information Meeting: Realignment of Old Courthouse Road at Besley Road