A section of Route 1 in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County has been approved for redevelopment, a change that county officials think could potentially quadruple the area’s population and bring even more exciting developments. The stretch of the Richmond Highway, located in the southern part of Fairfax, is known for run-down hotels and commercial developments that are starting to look the worse for wear due to advanced age, so redevelopments mean moving or relocating to Fairfax County is becoming a better idea by the day!

According to the Washington Business Journal, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved its “Embark Richmond Highway” plan late last month. The plan has multiple components to it.

  • Route 1 will be widened to accommodate the extra traffic that is expected as a result of all the new construction and bus rapid transit will be able to run mostly in the middle of the roadway between the Huntington Metro station and Fort Belvoir.
  • There will be new bike lanes and sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians and two-wheeled commuters.
  • New residential development has been okayed, all to be located within half a mile of nine BRT stations. As per plans, there could be as many as 18,000 housing units. 
  • There is also an approved 8.5 million square feet of nonresidential development along the corridor, which includes hotels and commercial development that will make the county an even better place to live.

And that’s just the beginning! From the Fairfax County website: 

“New, interconnected park spaces are also planned along the corridor. The parks will be strategically located at each of the BRT stations and distributed throughout the station areas, providing places for people to enjoy the outdoors and learn more about the area’s history. The plan also features two new, innovative concepts for open space called livability and ecological spines. These spines are continuous park spaces that are integrated with streets and buildings. Livability spines act as alternative main streets to Richmond Highway, creating destinations for shopping, recreation and gathering outdoors. These spines integrate local streets with pedestrian and bike paths, linear parks, plazas, retail and restaurants.”

The Yellow Line will also be expanded under the plan, heading southward with brand new stations at the Beacon-Groveton area and in Hybla Valley.

How much will all this cost? According to the Board of Supervisors, “Embark Richmond Highway” will carry a price tag of $750 million. In addition, the plan calls for “substantial” federal and state funding for the transportation-related upgrades. 

Regardless of the cost, however, this is definitely something that is moving forward. “This is an enormously big financial lift for our community,” Supervisor Jeff McKay, D-Lee District was quoted as saying in the report. “I’m not interested in having a plan sit on the shelf and collect dust.” 

With the new improvements, Northern Virginia will become an even better and more desirable place to live and these are just a few of the reasons to move to Fairfax County.