Popes Head Road Closure At Fairfax County Parkway Begins Wednesday

FAIRFAX, VA — Popes Head Road (Route 654) will close at the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced. The closure will remain in effect until Tuesday, June 2, to prepare for the partial opening of a new interchange.

When the closure begins, the traffic signal at the intersection will be taken out of service, allowing continuous traffic flow on northbound and southbound Fairfax County Parkway. Drivers will be unable to turn from Popes Head Road onto the parkway, or from the parkway onto Popes Head Road, during the multi-day work period.

VDOT has established the following detour routes for the duration of the closure:

• Northbound Fairfax County Parkway to eastbound Popes Head Road: Drivers will detour via northbound Fairfax County Parkway, eastbound Braddock Road (Route 620), and southbound Route 123 (Ox Road).
• Northbound Fairfax County Parkway to westbound Popes Head Road: Drivers will detour via northbound Fairfax County Parkway, westbound Braddock Road, and southbound Colchester Road (Route 612).
• Southbound Fairfax County Parkway to eastbound Popes Head Road: Drivers will detour prior to the intersection via eastbound Braddock Road and southbound Route 123 (Ox Road).
• Southbound Fairfax County Parkway to westbound Popes Head Road: Drivers will detour prior to the intersection via westbound Braddock Road (Route 620) and southbound Colchester Road (Route 612).
• Eastbound Popes Head Road to northbound or southbound Fairfax County Parkway: Drivers will detour via northbound Colchester Road and eastbound Braddock Road.
• Westbound Popes Head Road to northbound or southbound Fairfax County Parkway: Drivers will detour via northbound Route 123 and westbound Braddock Road.
• Eastbound Popes Head Road headed east of the parkway: Drivers will detour via northbound Colchester Road, eastbound Braddock Road, and southbound Route 123.
• Westbound Popes Head Road headed west of the parkway: Drivers will detour via northbound Route 123, westbound Braddock Road, and southbound Colchester Road.

On Tuesday, June 2, Popes Head Road traffic will shift onto a new bridge over the Fairfax County Parkway, and select interchange ramps will open. VDOT officials stated that details regarding the upcoming traffic patterns will be released later.

The project replaces the existing traffic signal with an interchange featuring two new bridges over the parkway and triple roundabouts. Additional project components include building a short segment of the future Shirley Gate Road extension for vehicle and pedestrian access to the future Patriot Park, constructing a shared-use path linking the parkway trail to Patriot Park, reconstructing the Fairfax County Parkway Trail, installing a sidewalk on the north side of Popes Head Road, and extending Ladues End Lane to the new roundabout.

The project is scheduled for completion this fall. VDOT reminded drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians to use caution, remain alert to new traffic patterns, and limit distractions in the active work zone.

Travelers can access traffic, work zone, and incident information via the 511.vdot.virginia.gov website, the 511 Virginia mobile app, or by calling 511.