Roads

DAYS ARE NUMBERED FOR DREADED LEXINGTON DRIVE TRAFFIC LIGHTS

The final traffic on Route 7 between Sterling and Leesburg should be gone sometime next year.

Big news tonight for drivers who commute along Route 7 between Sterling, Ashburn and Leesburg. The one remaining traffic light on a long stretch of roadway should be gone by next year. That’s up to a year and a half faster than expected.

Thanks to overpass projects at Loudoun County Parkway, Ashburn Village Boulevard and Belmont Ridge Road, the drive along this stretch of road has gotten infinitely better. But the stop-and-go lights at Lexington Drive and Route 7 in Ashburn remain — bringing traffic to a painful halt. The plan has always been to get rid of that traffic light too and close that intersection, but it was dependent on the extension of Riverside Parkway, which is nowhere close to being done.

In this image from the upcoming Riverside Square shopping center, you can see the western stretch of Riverside Parkway that is close to completion. The eastern section, which will connect to Loudoun County Parkway near the Chick-Fil-A and DC Prime steakhouse, is still wrapping up the planning stages. Construction has yet to begin.

Now tonight, Supervisor Ron Meyer announced that his office has worked with county staff to develop a way to accelerate the removal of the Lexington Drive signal by anywhere from 12 to 18 months faster than originally planned.

“The signal will be removed next year, and it will be a massive relief to commuters on Route 7,” Meyer said in a statement. “With this signal gone, there will be no traffic signals from Dulles Town Center all the way to Battlefield Parkway in Leesburg. This allows for more drivers to use Route 7 to bypass the Dulles Greenway’s $6 toll.”

Images: Google Maps

More details should be out soon about the accelerated timeline. The Burn checked and, while there is not a definite date for the removal of the Lexington Drive traffic lights, it sounds like the county is targeting the first half of 2019.

12 Comments
  1. Melanie Zorb 6 years ago

    Wonderful! Now we just need route 7 through Sterling redesigned to Reston and McLean

  2. Anonymous 6 years ago

    Any plans for battlefield or Cardinal Park Dr?

  3. Mike McKenna 6 years ago

    Any plans for battlefield or Cardinal Park Dr

  4. Melanie Zorb 6 years ago

    I read Battlefield is going to be a ramp so maybe Cardinal will be an extended road from Battlefield?

  5. Julie 6 years ago

    Battlefield is on the books for 2019 and as part of that project, Cardinal Park Dr light will be removed.

  6. Anonymous 6 years ago

    How will this affect our favorite nursery Bluemount? do not want to see them pushed out!!

    • z z 6 years ago

      From Route 7 East you’d go to Loudoun County Parkway and go West. River Creek Parkway extension to Lexington Drive is also in the works

  7. Paul 6 years ago

    It’s great we can bypass the Greenway, but how do we get from the Toll Road to Rt 7? That is the section of 28 that is a nightmare that forces people to take the Greenway!

    • Jeff 5 years ago

      Spot on. Only VDOT could design a left lane ramp to Waxpool off 28. All the people bailing off the Toll Road have to cross all the way over 28 within a mile or so. Most people are terrible drivers as it is, asking them to do anything that takes any semblance of skill is asking way too much.

      I hate it, but just pay my $5. Home to Leesburg 20 minutes.

  8. Bob 6 years ago

    Lexington never should have had a light. BOS should have only allowed right turns onto 7. The developers should have helped pay for overpass. And of course that light is always out of whack timing and VDOT is AWOL as usual.

  9. Anonymous 6 years ago

    They should leave the right turns into and out of Lexington. Too many dang lights getting to Russell Branch either via LoCo Prwy or Ashburn Village Blvd.

  10. John B 5 years ago

    That traffic light at Lexington epitomizes the Loudoun County planners. Spend millions and leave something so dumb that it screws all the new things up. Light at Lexington, raggedy Sycolin Rd. Yet, we get new amazing overpasses like Ashburn Village. I call it buffoonery and an ultimate waste of tax payer money. Fix the simple problems first dopes! All that money spent and NO CHANGE really in our commutes. Instead of 3 cycles at Lexington light we now get 5 in the evening…thanks for NOTHING!!!

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