Driven south on 29 into Gainesville recently? (And by recently, I mean any time in the last four years.) If you have, chances are good you’ve been caught up in traffic, and road construction, and wondered:

What are they doing, and will they ever be finished?

The Gainesville / I-66 Improvements project, now in its fourth and final phase, began construction, and is scheduled for completion sometime this summer. So, we’re happy to report: Yes. They will ever be finished. So says Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Communications Manager Joan Morris, “It is on schedule to be completed in June 2015.” One of the largest construction projects in Virginia, at the center of the new Route 29/Linton Hall Road interchange is a pair of overpasses: one carrying Route 29 over the Norfolk Southern Railroad, and one carrying Linton Hall and Gallerher roads over the railroad and Route 29. VDOT also green-lighted the widening of Route 29 to six lanes — as well as the elimination of driveway entrances and two traffic signals between I-66 and Virginia Oaks Drive — in an effort to further improve traffic flow.

Okay, but why?

In a word: Bottleneck. Nobody likes them. (Except, of course, for the kind attached to a nice cold bottle of craft beer.) The I-66 / Route 29 Gainesville Interchange is conveniently — or not so conveniently, as the case has been — located in one of Prince William County’s fastest growing areas, and serves as a major link from the DC metropolitan area’s so-called exurbs. As new communities in Prince William, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Madison, Orange, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren Counties emerge, and flourish, so too is the traffic demand on the Route 29 and I-66 corridors growing.

Let’s talk traffic.

In 2008, Interstate 66 carried just 82,000 vehicles per day between Route 29 and the Route 234 Bypass. And in a period of just 20 years, by 2028, that figure is expected to more than double, to 175,000. Route 29 through Gainesville, which once saw only 57,000 vehicles, must soon accommodate as many as 87,000. And then there’s Linton Hall Road: Traffic here is expected to triple in the 30 years between 2005 (15,500 vehicles per day) and 2035 (42,000). As long-time residents of northern Virginia, we’ve come to expect the snarl of traffic, but such rapid growth necessitated action. Many local business such as My Plumber, Gainesville Dental Associates , Grigg Design, and JK Enterprises will benefit from the ease in traffic congestion.

See a video rendering of the completed interchange.

Northern Virginia is the place to be, and come summer’s completion of the new Route 29/Linton Hall Road interchange, it’ll be a little easier to get around. Moving into, or around the area? Call the experienced residential movers at Craig Van Lines.

Will the new Route 29 / Linton Hall Road Interchange ever be finished?