A portion of Prince William Parkway will be widened to six lanes thanks to $9.1 million in federal stimulus money.
The funds will go to widen a one-mile portion of the parkway from Old Bridge Road to Hoadly Road, and were approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board as well as the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
While the road is already six lanes between Old Bridge and Ridgefield roads, the money is just a part of the federal funds that have been allocated for county road improvements.
“This will entail filling in the dots, if you will, on those sections of the parkway where it isn’t six lanes. We’re giving an additional lane out front of the McCoart Building, as well as on the 7-Eleven side between Hoadly and Ridgefield,” said Prince William County transportation spokesman Thomas Blazer.
The project will be completed by February 2012 — a deadline the county expects to meet fairly easily, said Blaser.
The parkway widening was originally approved by voters in a bond referendum package in 2006. The project will require the county to acquire land and relocate a large number of utility lines, said Blaser.
The additional lanes could make it easier to add a High Occupancy Vehicle lane along the roadway from Hoadly Road to Interstate 95, as is called for in the region’s “TransAction 2030” report — a wish list of area transportation projects.
Supervisors on Tuesday also allocated $2.66 million in federal land grant money to widen Fuller Road in Dumfries and $2.10 million in Road Surface Transportation funds to widen Purcell Road near Lake Jackson.
A portion of Fuller Road will be widened from U.S. 1 to Fuller Heights Road. The project will also realign the intersection at Fuller and Fuller Heights roads near the entrance to Quantico Marine Corps Base.
Purcell Road will be widened to four lanes from Va. 234 to Vista Brook Drive. A sharp curve in that area will be removed, according to county documents.
Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.
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