In an Oct. 15 message to their constituents, Loudoun Del. David Ramadan (R-87) and Dulles District Supervisor Matt Letourneau explained why they’re fighting so hard to build a roundabout in Centreville.
“The Braddock/Pleasant Valley intersection is the single worst chokepoint in the Dulles South area and a constant source of frustration for Loudoun commuters, which is why the Loudoun Board of Supervisors took the unprecedented step of funding an improvement not actually within our borders,” said Letourneau.
He also noted that the roundabout “has the support of Supervisor Michael Frey (Sully) and Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67).” And Ramadan said he’d spent the last couple weeks “working with VDOT leadership in Richmond and Northern Virginia to obtain the funds needed to close the shortfall and allow the project to move forward as scheduled.”
The proposed roundabout isn’t up to Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors because it’s a VDOT project. Still, many local residents hoped Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) would oppose it, like they do. But noting that he represents all the residents of the Sully District, he said many of them have wanted something done about the Braddock/Pleasant Valley roads intersection for years.
“I understand the opposition, but I don’t agree with it,” said Frey. “At some point, you’ve got to build roads. More traffic’s going to come on Braddock, no matter what — Loudoun County development plans call for it. If I thought not fixing the intersection would stop the traffic, I’d be all for it. But that won’t stop the traffic increase.”
He also doesn’t believe Loudoun drivers would inundate Centreville neighborhoods if a roundabout were built. “Why would they turn south to get onto Pleasant Valley Road?” he asked. “They’re going on Braddock to Route 28 and I-66. It’s shorter than going through Virginia Run and less congested than getting on I-66 at Route 29.”
Frey said Loudoun commuters also head to jobs in the Westfields Corporate Center in Chantilly, so they’d take a left on Old Lee Road.
Regarding the environmental concerns, he said, “A lot of rare oak/hickory forest was torn down to build Virginia Run. If you never built a road because of wetlands, you’d never build a road.”