Third lane open on Route 123 northbound from Chapel Road to Fairfax County Parkway

Part of ongoing Fairfax County Parkway widening south project

FAIRFAX STATION – Drivers on northbound Route 123 (Ox Road) now have an extra travel lane from Chapel Road (Route 641) to the bridge over Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286), according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

A third travel lane along this segment of northbound Route 123 is now open to traffic as part of the ongoing Fairfax County Parkway widening south project.

The project, which aims to reduce congestion and improve safety, operations and bicyclist/pedestrian accessibility and mobility, is also:

• Widening about two miles of Fairfax County Parkway from four lanes to six between Route 123 and Nomes Court/Ladues End Lane.
• Installing concrete median barriers along tight curves and raised grass medians elsewhere along Fairfax County Parkway.
• Constructing a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along Fairfax County Parkway between Route 123 and Burke Centre Parkway.
• Making Fairfax County Parkway/Burke Centre Parkway intersection improvements including a new westbound Burke Centre Parkway free-flow right-turn lane.
• Adding a grade-separated bicyclist and pedestrian crossing just north of Burke Centre Parkway.
• Improving the Route 123 interchange by widening the beginning of the southbound Fairfax County Parkway ramp to Route 123 from one lane to two and adding a third left-turn lane on the ramp (the third left-turn lane is now open).
• Enhancing the sound wall along southbound Fairfax County Parkway between Clara Barton Drive and Route 123.

The $126 million project, scheduled for completion in mid-2027, is financed with federal, state, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and local funding.

The project area is adjacent to the Fairfax County Parkway widening north project, which began construction in June 2024 and is scheduled for completion in mid-2027, Once both projects are completed, Fairfax County Parkway will have six continuous through lanes on the approximately eight-mile stretch from Route 123 to Rugby Road (Route 750). The project is also near the Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange project, which began construction in December 2023 and is expected to be completed this fall. Earlier this summer, the traffic signal at Popes Head Road was removed and the interchange partially opened to traffic, eliminating what had been a major choke point on Fairfax County Parkway.

Drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones. Be alert to new traffic patterns and limit distractions.

You can get traffic, work zone and incident information online at 511.vdot.virginia.gov, via the free mobile 511Virginia app, or by calling 511 in Virginia anywhere anytime.

Follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova