Groundbreaking Held For Route 7 Widening From Tysons To Reston

VIENNA, VA—Officials broke ground Thursday on major changes coming to Leesburg Pike between the outskirts of Tysons and Reston.

Leesburg Pike, also known as Route 7, will get nearly seven miles of improvements that will add more capacity for cars and improved paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The largest change will be a third lane in each direction from Reston Avenue to Jarrett Valley Drive in the Tysons area. Other changes include continuous shared-use paths along the eastbound and westbound lanes, longer left and right-turn lanes to side streets along the corridor, raising the bridge above Difficult Run above flood level, a pedestrian underpass at Colvin Run Mill Park and more.

The Virginia Department of Transportation projects nearly 52,000 drivers travel on the corridor daily with 86,000 drivers projected by 2040.

"As our region’s population and employment continues to grow, these types of improvements that provide alternate modes of travel for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike are critical to improving safety and reducing congestion," said Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Chairman Martin E. Nohe in a news release.

The $319.9 million project will be funded through federal, state, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and Fairfax County money. Dewberry has been contracted for the project.

The first of the improvements, a third left-turn lane from westbound Route 7 to southbound Baron Cameron Avenue in the Reston area, will likely be completed in late August. The full project will finish around 2024.

Find the latest construction updates and traffic impacts at www.connectroute7.org/default.asp.