A set of upgrades to an I-395 interchange and trails near Long Bridge Park are officially complete.
Officials from Arlington County, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority hosted a ribbon cutting today (Thursday) for the Boundary Channel Drive Interchange project.
The $20 million initiative, which broke ground in summer 2022, is intended to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers while also connecting Long Bridge Park with the Mount Vernon Trail.
“The project shows the power and potential of partnership and what can be accomplished when you work regionally, and we’re very proud of that collaboration,” said Arlington County Board member Matt de Ferranti. “It’s not often that you can do so many things in one project: [improve] interstate safety, expand access to recreational opportunities, improve important connections to vital federal facilities like the Pentagon.”
The project reconfigured ramps between I-395, Boundary Channel Drive and Long Bridge Drive in an attempt to simplify traffic patterns and cut down on some wild driving on the interstate. Roundabouts were also installed on Boundary Channel Drive on either side of the highway.
New traffic patterns went into effect in December.
In addition to the roadwork, the project built a 12-foot-wide westbound shared-use path on Boundary Channel Drive and an eight-foot-wide eastbound sidewalk. A new half-mile connector trail, which opened earlier this spring, connects to the Mt. Vernon Trail via an existing path running parallel to the southbound GW Parkway ramp to southbound I-395.
Several joggers could be seen using the new trails during today’s ceremony, which capped off at least a decade of effort, paid for by state, federal, regional and county funds.
NVTA CEO Monica Backmon praised the speed of the construction project and the collaboration across agencies that made it possible.
“Being able to eliminate some of the safety complaints, being able to reduce congestion, being able to provide sustainability — that’s what we are here for,” she said.
