Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-28
State Plan to Extend
Shirley Highway Hit
Virginia Group
Would Prefer
Separate Road

"A proposed route IOr an extern
sion of. Shirley highway has
drawn opposition from the.
Northern Virginia Planning and
Economic Development Commits
sion.
In a report released today by
Charles Robinson, executive di-
rector, the commission went on
record for a highway completely
separated from existing U. S.
Route and running several
miles to the west.
A report by a State Highway
Department consulting firm re-
commended a route that would
cross existing Route / in two
places between Fairfax County
and the southerly boundary of
Prince William County, the end
of the Northern Virginia Com
missions jurisdiction. The pro-
posed route runs close to Route l
throughout its length. r.
The superhighway is part of
the l.0l2 miles of limited-access
expressway to be built in Vir-
ginia under the new Federal aid
program.
Proposed Route Traced
The route proposed by the
State Highway Departments
consulting firm begins at the
intersection of Shirley highway
and Route l in Fairfax. County
just north of Woodbridge. Going
south. it bypasses Woodbridge to
the west. crosses Route l below
Woodbridge. parallels Route /
to the east for about six miles,
IrecrosseS between Dumfries and
Triangle, parallels the existing
road to the west to just below
Fredericksburg and then crosses
Route l again and continues to
Richmond on the east side Of
the present highway.
The Northern Virginia Com
missions report said that it
"disagrees strongly with the con-
sultant's recommendation" and
suggests separate road for four
primary reasons:
Costs of right-of-way and con-
struction would be less, traffic
capacity would be greater, it
would be better civil defense
planning and it would strengthen
the economy of the commercial
development along, existing
Route /.
The planning commissions
tentative route would vary from
about two to several miles west
OF Route l with no crossings of
the existing highway.
"Right-of-way costs along and
across Route / versus several
miles to the west would be prob
ably 20 to l." the report said.
THE western location would in.
volve less excavation and drain
age expenditures" The commits
sion said the consultant's route
goes through considerable"
swampy terrain which could be
avoided farther west.
The report said the crossing
and recrossing of Route / is
unnecessary and unwise" from
a standpoint of overpass costs
and disruption of traffic on
Route l.
Rise in Traffic Seen
A great increase in traffic Is
predicted in the area involved.
A superhighway entirely di-
vorced" from Route would have
a greater capacity, the report
said.
I'm the event of disaster, sabo-
Itage or military action. two roads
entirely separated would provide
alternate facilities" for evacua-
Ition. the report says. Sabotage
to either of the consultant's pro-
posed grade separation structures
could possibly knock out both
roads"
The commission said that the
farther the new location is sep
arated from the existing Route /,
the less effect it will have upon
) the existing commercial develop
ment along the present road"
A large part of the economy Of
the Woodbridge Dumfries Tri-
angle area is based on the GUAM
tico Marine Base and to some
extent on the Army post at Fort
Belvoir, according to the report.
The commission said Route
would continue to get the local
traffic if it is separated entirely
from the new highway. but the
new road would tend to get
nearly all of the traffic If it is
close to the existing road.
1--WE also believe that the exist
ing Route / is a facility which
could well be used to develop adj
ditional small industry and add
to the economy of the region
the report said.
Id Tenn, Wins