OCCOQUAN — New improvements are coming to the busy intersection of Old Bridge and Occoquan roads.
The state will allocate $11.8 million to improve the 10-lane junction just outside the Occoquan town.
The project includes realigning the intersection of Old Bridge Road and Occoquan roads. The intersection is located on a sharp curve and, making it difficult for drivers to see oncoming cars.
Along with the realignment of the intersection, the project includes the construction of an additional right turn lane on the southbound approach on Occoquan Road to improve operations.
The existing pedestrian facilities will be relocated and reconstructed as part of the project with pedestrian walkways on Old Bridge Road on a median.
Pedestrian crosswalks with pedestrian signals will be added to match the existing crosswalk configurations – along both sides of Old Bridge Road, for those crossing Occoquan Road and on the west side of Occoquan Road, for those crossing Old Bridge Road.
A new fourth leg pedestrian crosswalk will be also be installed.
A discussion on fixing that intersection was most recently had during the “Old Bridge Road Think Tanks” held by Prince William County Occoquan District Supervisor Ruth Anderson.
A subsequent engineering study conducted in 2017 recommended fixing intersection. The project was then pitched to the state for funding, but it didn’t score well and when a list of state-funded projects was released in January it looked like the project was dead, at least for now.
Last week, however, county officials learned that state would fund the project.
“We applied for funding from SmartScale in late 2018…that project scored well but did not get recommended for funding by [Commonwealth Transportation Board] staff Just last evening at the Regional VDOT spring meeting, it was announced that more money was now available for three additional SmartScale projects…this intersection was one of the three,” said Anderson.
This additional funding comes after state officials earlier this year announced it would fund the extension of a fourth lane on Interstate 95 south, from Route 123 to Prince William Parkway to alleviate a bottleneck near the Occoquan River.
“This Old Bridge and Occoquan road project builds on the success the Governor’s success, who found the additional money for the I-95 fourth-lane extension,” said State Senator Scott Surovell (D-36, Fairfax, Stafford, Woodbridge).
