The long-promised Va. 28 Bypass Project, which aims to take traffic off congested Route 28 through the Manassas area has likely come to the end of the road. Prince William Board of County Supervisors are set to vote to cancel the project.
The long-promised Va. 28 Bypass Project, which aims to take traffic off congested Route 28 through the Manassas, Virginia, area has likely come to the end of the road.
Tuesday, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors will consider, and vote on a recommendation by the county’s transportation department to cancel the project, which was expected to be a 3.5 mile, four-lane road, when it was approved by the supervisors in 2020.
The proposed route would bypass the section of existing Route 28 — also known as Centreville Road — in the county by extending Godwin Drive across Sudley Road, and connect with Route 28 at a signalized intersection north of Bull Run Stream in Fairfax County, near the recently-expanded Route 66 interchange.
Since then, the project has run into a string of challenges, including the configuration of the bypass, the number of homes and businesses that would be affected, lack of buy-in from Fairfax County, which precipitated a shortened Prince William-only alternative, and the ballooning cost of the project.
In a report ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled vote, staff wrote “It is the recommendation of County staff that the Board authorize the cancellation and close out of the Route 28 Bypass Project.”
Staff for the county’s Department of Transportation, headed by Director Ricardo Canizales, wrote, “Cancelling and closing out the Project will provide opportunities to investigate other alternatives and cost-effective solutions with innovative transportation designs that will improve traffic flow along the Route 28 corridor and reduce congestion while taking into consideration future land use plans.”
If the project is canceled, staff acknowledged the county could be on the hook for money already spent.
“The Route 28 Bypass Project has incurred $6,537,306 in expenses paid using (Northern Virginia Transportation Authority) and local funding,” according to the report. “Closing out this Project may potentially result in NVTA requesting a refund of its reimbursements plus interest.”
In a separate Route 28 project, aiming to improve traffic flow, transportation planners have approved a second round of funding in long-range plans to improve the commute on Virginia Route 28 between Manassas Park and Fairfax County.
The project, championed by Virginia state Sen. Danica Roem (D-Prince William County) includes $40 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority to fund road improvements that include innovative intersection designs, a raised median and a 1.75 mile-long sidewalk between the City of Manassas Park and the Yorkshire area of Prince William County.
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