Bike Lanes, Intersection Tweaks: Project At King Street Metro To Begin In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A project seeking to address traffic congestion and make pedestrian and bicyclist improvements is preparing to begin outside the King Street Metro station and Union Station in Alexandria.

The King-Callahan-Russell intersection project will begin in August and finish in November, according to meeting documents for Alexandria's Traffic and Parking Board. The city will be changing lane configuration and improving pedestrian and bicyclist facilities at the intersection.

The new intersection design will feature northbound Callahan Drive having one lane for left turns and a combined lane for right turns and through traffic. The slip ramp will be removed to reduce speeds of turning vehicles. On southbound Russell Road, right turns onto westbound King Street — away from Old Town — will be eliminated.

At the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, the service road will change from a two-way road to one way in the southbound direction.

No changes are proposed for the lane configurations of eastbound and westbound King Street. Signal timing improvements will be made to address delays at the intersection.

For bicyclists, the project will add bike lanes on King Street.

On the pedestrian side, the project will add pedestrian signals where they're missing, leading pedestrian intervals for all crossings, provide a new pedestrian crossing on King Street on the intersection's west side, provide more direct pedestrian crossings on King Street and Callahan Drive, remove concrete median islands, upgrade sidewalks to provide more space, and accessible ramps and connections to the steps up to the Masonic Memorial.

The city expects work to happen during non-peak hours due to traffic impacts. Periodic lane closures are possible during the construction, and flaggers would direct traffic.

The Traffic and Parking Board will discuss the project and other agenda items during its upcoming meeting. The Traffic and Parking Board's July 24 meeting has been rescheduled for July 31 at 7 p.m.