Date of Council Meeting: April 24, 2017

TOWN OF LEESBURG

TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION

Subject: East Market Street (Route 7) / Battlefield Parkway Interchange

Staff Contact: Tom Brandon, Capital Projects Manager, Public Works & Capital Projects

Calvin Grow, Transportation Engineer, Public Works & Capital Projects

Renée LaFollette, Director, Public Works & Capital Projects

Council Action Requested: Information only.

Staff Recommendation: Information only.

Commission Recommendation: Not applicable.

Fiscal Impact: A new grade-separated interchange between East Market Street and Battlefield Parkway

is estimated to cost $58 million. This order-of-magnitude estimate was prepared based on comparable

interchanges in the area. As part of the ongoing studies to select a preferred alternative for the

interchange, the estimated cost will be refined. However, based on work performed to date, the estimated

project cost appears to be in the right order of magnitude.

To date the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) has awarded a total of $33 million to

the project. This existing funding is sufficient for preparation or the required Interchange Justification

Report, preparation of an environmental document, design, right-of-way acquisition, relocation of

utilities, and a portion of the construction. The remainder of the funding has not been secured.

The Town will continue to apply for major project funding sources for full funding of the project,

including NVTA regional funding and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Smart Scale.

Other potential smaller funding programs from VDOT, NVTA and other sources will also be evaluated.

Work Plan Impact: None. This project is included in the Department of Public Works and Capital

Projects work plan. The studies, design and construction of the interchange are being administered by

the Virginia Department of Transportation, in cooperation with the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun

County.

Executive Summary: The initial stages are underway for the development of a grade-separated

interchange to replace the signalized East Market Street (Route 7) / Battlefield Parkway intersection.

The project will also include modification of the existing Cardinal Park Drive intersection with East

Market Street. As part of the preliminary design and the development of an Interchange Justification

Report, various alternative interchange configurations have been developed and are being evaluated.

This initial work on the project, including the preliminary design, traffic studies, Interchange

Justification Report, and environmental document is scheduled to be completed in spring 2018.

Scheduling of final design and construction of the interchange is dependent on future funding.

TAB 01

East Market Street (Route 7) / Battlefield Parkway Interchange

April 24, 2017

Page 2

Background: East Market Street (Route 7) is one of the most congested corridors in Leesburg. This

highway carries inter-state and intra-state traffic from the west and south to the employment corridors

and activity centers in the Dulles area and Washington, DC metropolitan region. Current weekday

traffic on East Market Street is estimated to be 85,000 vehicles per day and current traffic on

Battlefield Parkway is estimated to be 15,000 vehicles per day. During the afternoon peak hour,

approximately 8,000 vehicles pass through the Battlefield Parkway intersection resulting in routine

congestion. Also, the existing East Market Street signalized intersections with Battlefield Parkway

and Cardinal Park Drive have some of the highest accident rates in Loudoun County

In addition to motorized vehicle issues, East Market Street acts as a barrier separating residential areas

from retail and business areas.

Project Scope

In 2016, the Town entered into an agreement with the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority

(NVTA) for funding of preliminary studies and design for the interchange. The Town also executed

a separate agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in which they are

administering the work on the project. The purpose of the project is to:

Reduce recurring congestion at the Route 7 and Battlefield Parkway intersection

Improve safety

Improve accessibility for pedestrian and bicycle traffic crossing Route 7

One of the required steps to construct a new highway interchange is to develop an Interchange

Justification Report (IJR). The purpose of the IJR is to provide a reliable forecast of future traffic

conditions, develop and evaluate alternatives, and select an alternative that best meets the project

needs.

Alternatives

Four alternative interchange configurations for Battlefield Parkway, and four optional treatments of

the Cardinal Park Drive intersection have been developed for the project (drawings included in the

VDOT presentation attached):

The alternatives that have been developed for the Battlefield interchange are:

Alternate 1: Hybrid Diamond Interchange with a cloverleaf loop ramp in the northeast

quadrant – Variations of this type of interchange are found at several locations along Route 7

east of Leesburg.

Alternate 2: Compressed Urban Diamond – This type of interchange is at the intersection of

Route 7 and Fairfax County Parkway near Dranesville.

Alternate 3: Diverging Diamond Interchange – This type of interchange configuration was

recently constructed at the I-66 / Route 15 intersection in Haymarket.

Alternate 4: Single Point Urban Interchange- An example of this type of interchange

configuration is at the Route 7 / Loudoun County Parkway intersection in Ashburn.

East Market Street (Route 7) / Battlefield Parkway Interchange

April 24, 2017

Page 3

Cardinal Park

Option A: Green T – This type of intersection allows the westbound through Route 7 traffic

to continue freeflow without a traffic signal. Westbound left turn to Cardinal Park Drive

would be controlled by a signal. This is similar to the intersection configuration on the Bypass

at Fort Evans Road. The left turning traffic from Cardinal Park Drive is separated from the

westbound Route 7 traffic by a barrier, and would not have direct access to the Bypass.

Option B: Right-In/Right-Out/Left-In – This type of intersection would not allow left turns

from Cardinal Park Drive to westbound Route 7. Traffic wishing to go westbound would use

Trailview Boulevard/Russell Branch Parkway and go through the new interchange. All other

movements at the intersection would be allowed and would be contolled by a signal, except

for Route 7 westbound through traffic, which would be free flowing.

Option C: Right-In/Right-Out – This type of intersection would allow traffic to leave the

Cardinal Park area and travel eastbound, but would not allow traffic to turn left and travel

westbound. Westbound Route 7 traffic would not have access into Cardinal Park.

Option D: Right-In Only – With this type of intersection, all traffic leaving Cardinal Park

would use Trailview Boulevard/Russell Branch Parkway to the new interchange at Battlefield

Parkway. Also, westbound Route 7 traffic would use the Battlefield Parkway interchange and

Russell Branch Parkway to access the Cardinal Park area.

Public Outreach

The development and approval of the IJR will include significant outreach to impacted stakeholders.

Information about the project is available on the Town’s website, and on a project web page

maintained by VDOT, which is located on their website at

http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/northernvirginia/rt_7_at_battlefield_pkwy.asp.

VDOT will begin meeting with individual business and property owners later this spring.

A formal Public Hearing will be held after completion of the draft IJR. This hearing is tentatively

scheduled for 1st Quarter of Calendar Year 2018.

Schedule

Below is the tentative schedule for approval of the IJR and the project design.

Spring 2017: Meetings with business owners, Public Information Meeting, and identification

of a preferred alternative.

Summer 2017: Complete preliminary design

Fall 2017: Conditional IJR approval

Early 2018: Public Hearing, additional briefings to Town Council and Board of Supervisors

Early 2018: Town and County endorsements

Spring 2018: Design approval

Final design, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation and construction will be scheduled after full

project funding has been finalized.

Attachment: VDOT Presentation

Route 7 (East Market Street) Interchange at

Battlefield Parkway

Town of Leesburg

Project No: 0007-253-109 UPC 106573

April 2017

William Dunn, PE

VDOT Project Manager

John Maddox, PE

Consultant Project Manager

Project Limits

2

Project Purpose and ScopeProject Purpose• Improve safety and pedestrian/vehicle flow by building a grade-separated interchange which will allow

Route 7 to become a limited-access highway through the Town of Leesburg Corporate Limits

Ongoing Efforts• Traffic Analysis

• Interchange Alternatives Screening

• Interchange Justification Report (IJR)

• NEPA Environmental Studies

• Preliminary Design

3

Next Steps• Design Public Hearing

• Design Approval

E MARKET ST

STATION DR

CA

RD

INA

L

PA

RK

DR

Route 7 at Battlefield Pkwy

Interchange Alternatives

• Alternative 1 – Single Loop Hybrid Interchange

• Alternative 2 – Compressed Diamond Interchange

• Alternative 3 – Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)

• Alternative 4 – Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI)

Note: Levels of Service (LOS) on subsequent slides reflect Right-In/Right-Out at

Cardinal Park Drive (Option C)

4

Advantages• LOS C or better at ramp traffic signals

• Minimizes number of lanes on bridge over Route 7

• Desirable spacing between Ramps A/D and Russell Branch Pkwy

• No impact to transmission utility poles

• Loop reduces weaving volume along WB Route 7

• Improved pedestrian and bicycle accommodations5

Alternative 1

Single Loop Hybrid Interchange

Disadvantages• Greater right of way impacts

compared to Alts 2 and 4

Ramp B

Loop

Ramp C

Ramp A Ramp D

Alternative 2

Compressed Diamond Interchange

Advantages• Less right of way impacts compared to Alts 1 and 3

• No impact to transmission utility poles

• Desirable spacing between Ramps A/D and Russell

Branch Pkwy

• Improved pedestrian and bicycle accommodations

Disadvantages• LOS E in PM peak at Ramp B/C traffic signal

• 10-lane bridge over Route 7

• Increased weaving volume along WB Route 7 compared to Alt 1

Ramp B

Ramp A

Ramp C

Ramp D

6

Disadvantages• Transmission utility poles will be located inside of Ramps A and D

• Impacts undeveloped portions of Leegate and Lowe’s developments

• Inadequate spacing between Ramps A/D and Russell Branch Pkwy

• Pedestrian and bicycle accommodations less desirable

• Increased weaving volume along WB Route 7 compared to Alt 1

7

Alternative 3

Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)

Advantages• LOS C or better for ramp traffic signals

• Minimizes number of lanes on bridge over

Route 7

Ramp A

Ramp B

Ramp D

Ramp C

Disadvantages• Requires an 8-lane and a more complex and expensive bridge

over Route 7

• Pedestrian and bicycle accommodations less desirable

• Increased weaving volume along WB Route 7 compared to Alt 1

• Higher construction cost8

Alternative 4

Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI)

Advantages• Less right of way impacts compared to Alts 1 and 3

• Maximizes distance between interchange ramps and

Russell Branch Pkwy

• No impact to transmission utility poles

• LOS D at interchange ramp traffic signal

Ramp BRamp C

Ramp D Ramp A

Route 7 at Battlefield Pkwy

Alternatives Comparison

Criteria No Build

Alt 1:

Single Loop

Hybrid

Alt 2:

Compressed

Diamond

Alt 3:

DDI

Alt 4:

SPUI

Intersection LOS●

LOS F

○LOS C

○LOS E

○LOS C

○LOS D

Distance between interchange ramps

and Russell Branch PkwyN/A ○ ○ ● ●

Impacts to transmission lines ● ● ● ○ ●

Amount of weaving along WB Route 7 N/A ○ ○ ○ ○

Pedestrian and bicycle accommodations ● ○ ○ ○ ○

Size/complexity of bridge N/A ○7 lanes

○10 lanes

●6 lanes

●8 lanes

Right of way impacts N/A ○ ○ ● ○

Construction cost N/A ○$38.7 M

○$39.1 M

○$39.3 M

○$40.6 M

9

Legend

● ○ ○ ○ ●Excellent Favorable Fair Unfavorable Poor

Route 7 at Cardinal Park Drive

• Option A: Green T

− No NB left-turn access to the Bypass

• Option B: Left In/Right In/Right Out

• Option C: Right In/Right Out

• Option D: Right In

10

Route 7 Eastbound

Route 7 Westbound

Ca

rdin

al P

ark

Driv

e

Right Turn

Lane

Concrete

Channelizing Island

Concrete MedianConcrete Median

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption A: Green T

Advantages• Eliminates the WB Route 7 signal

• Minimizes impact to Cardinal Park Drive traffic

• Reduces diversion to Battlefield Pkwy and Russell

Branch Pkwy

• Prevents weaving from Battlefield Pkwy to Cardinal

Park Drive

Disadvantages

• EB Route 7 morning queues extend past

Bypass on-ramp

• Poor LOS for signalized movements

• Signal remains on EB Route 7

• EB rear end crash potential

• No access to Bypass from Cardinal Park Drive

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption A: Green T - Diverted Movements

12

EB queues back

up beyond Bypass

ramp in the AM

Route 7 Eastbound

Route 7 Westbound

Ca

rdin

al P

ark

Driv

e

Right Turn

Lane

Grass Median

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption B: Left In/Right In/Right Out

Concrete Island

Advantages• Eliminates the WB Route 7 signal

• Allows left turns to Cardinal Park Drive

• Reduces diversion to Battlefield Pkwy and Russell

Branch Pkwy

• Prevents weaving from Battlefield Pkwy to

Cardinal Park Drive

Disadvantages• EB Route 7 morning queues extend past

Bypass on-ramp

• Poor LOS for signalized movements

• Signal remains on EB Route 7

• EB rear end crash potential

• Prohibits left turns from Cardinal Park Drive

Concrete

Channelizing Island

Concrete Median

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption B: Left In/Right In/Right Out - Diverted Movements

14

EB queues back

up beyond Bypass

ramp in the AM

Route 7 Eastbound

Route 7 Westbound

Ca

rdin

al P

ark

Driv

e

Right Turn

Lane

Concrete Island

Grass MedianGrass Median

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption C: Right In/Right Out

Advantages

• Eliminates all signals on Route 7

• Reduces the potential for rear end crashes

• EB Route 7 queues do not extend to Bypass

• Prevents weaving from Battlefield Pkwy to Cardinal Park

Drive

Disadvantages

• Poor LOS and long delays for right turn

from Cardinal Park Drive

• Potential for angle crashes

• Diverts Cardinal Park Drive left turns to

Russell Branch Pkwy and Battlefield Pkwy

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption C: Right In/Right Out - Diverted Movements

16

Route 7 Eastbound

Route 7 Westbound

Ca

rdin

al P

ark

Driv

e

Right Turn

Lane

Grass MedianGrass Median

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption D: Right In

Remove Existing

Turn Lane

Disadvantages

• Diverts Cardinal Park Drive traffic to Russell

Branch Pkwy and Battlefield Pkwy impacting LOS

Advantages

• Eliminates all signals on Route 7

• Reduces the potential for rear end crashes

• EB Route 7 morning queues do not extend to Bypass

• No LOS deficiencies

• Prevents weaving from Battlefield Pkwy to Cardinal Park

Drive

Route 7 at Cardinal Park DriveOption D: Right In - Diverted Movements

18

Route 7 at Cardinal Park Drive

Options Comparison

Criteria No BuildOption A:

Green T

Option B:

Left In/Right

In/Right Out

Option C:

Right In/

Right Out

Option D:

Right In

Removal of signals along Route 7 ● ○ ○ ● ●

Minimizes the potential for EB queues

to extend to the Bypass● ● ● ● ●

Intersection LOS and delays ● ○ ○ ○ ●

Reduces the potential for rear end

and angle crashes along Route 7● ○ ○ ○ ○

Accommodates existing traffic at

Cardinal Park Drive● ○ ○ ○ ●

19

Legend

● ○ ○ ○ ●Excellent Favorable Fair Unfavorable Poor

20

Project Funding

Construction Phase Budget

Preliminary Engineering $4 million

Right-of-Way & Utilities $9 million

Construction $45 million

TOTAL $58 million

Funding Budget

NVTA Funding to Date $33 million

Additional Funding Needed $25 million

21

Project Schedule / Next Steps

Milestone Date

Public Information Meeting Spring 2017

Meet with Business Owners Spring 2017

Identify Preferred Alternative Spring 2017

Preliminary Design Submission Summer 2017

Conditional IJR Approval Fall 2017

D-B RFQ November 2017

Public Hearing Early 2018

Briefings to Town Council and County Board Early 2018

Town and County Endorsements Early 2018

D-B RFP May 2018

Design Approval Spring 2018

22

Questions?

Thank you

23

William Dunn, PE

VDOT Project Manager

703-259-2950

William.Dunn@VDOT.Virginia.gov

Contact Information:

James Zeller, PE

VDOT Project Development Engineer – Loudoun County

703-259-3220

James.Zeller@VDOT.Virginia.gov