A new four-way traffic signal has been installed at a high-crash intersection near Lubber Run Community Center, capping off years of efforts to improve safety.
As of this week, the intersection of N. George Mason Drive and N. Park Drive also has curb extensions on all corners, more street lighting and marked crosswalks at all crossings, according to a county webpage. These replace the interim safety measures previously installed to guide vehicles through the intersection.
The intersection, previously controlled by two-way stop signs on either side of the four-lane road, has been the site of several vehicle-on-vehicle crashes over the years.
Responding to this trend, a traffic study back in 2017 — conducted concurrently with plans to renovate the nearby community center — had called for installing a traffic signal. Instead, the county opted for a pedestrian refuge and flashing pedestrian beacon on N. George Mason Drive.
The intersection experienced a surge in crashes after the Lubber Run Community Center reopened in summer 2021 following renovations. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, four collisions resulted in injuries.
In late 2023, the county fast-tracked the intersection for upgrades — significantly shortening an original three-year timeline. Officials at the time targeted a completion date by the end of 2024.
In the meantime, the county installed a variety of short-term traffic calming measures. It removed and trimmed overgrown trees and shrubs in the median, and temporarily restricted vehicles’ movements in December 2023 using signage, flexible posts and wheel stops.
Finally, last November, a crew got to work installing the new traffic signal.
A tipster notified ARLnow on Tuesday that the traffic lights were, at long last, in operation.
“After years of wishing and complaining, the traffic lights at N George Mason and Park were activated today!” they wrote. “It reduces the number of traffic lights for me to get on NB Glebe or WB Wilson.”
Funding for the project came from the county’s Transportation Capital Fund and was included in the Fiscal Year 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Plan.
