What could have been: Northern Virginia with more interstate highways (Alexandria: insurance, chapel)

[Joke Insurance]

"Back in 1969, there was a serious proposal to build an Outer Beltway and various other freeway-grade roads through Fairfax County. Almost all went down to defeat.

You can find the plans in the hardback "Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan" upstairs at the public library in Fairfax City (the former Central Library relocated to Old Lee Highway). It's a two-volume set with green covers in the reference section.

What is now the Fairfax County Parkway (formerly the "Springfield Bypass") was not yet in the cards back then; it came about in part because of the demise of these grander plans."

Map #1:

"The plans would have done a number on some rather familiar areas. The Northern Virginia Expressway (green line on the map above) would have run through the Olley Lane/Pickett Road area and would have had a huge interchange with Routes 50 and 29 just east of Fairfax Circle. Recall these plans are dated 1969. The Circle Towers complex was already in place there by 1974. Once again, I've used MS Paint to annotate the scan I made. Some of you might not recall Pickett Road used to have a single lane in each direction and it cut around to the left passed the old Memco store (now Home Depot) to end at the traffic light at Old Lee Highway. The widening, and the realignment to its current terminus at Route 50 coupled with the extension of Blake Lane from Route 29 to Route 50, opened sometime between November 1989 and August 1991 (I recall this because I worked at the Virginian retirement home when said road construction was finished)."

Map #2:

"If you can picture the intersection of Guinea and Braddock Roads, with all the residential neighborhoods around there, try picturing this interchange instead. As noted, Red Fox Drive is in brown and Rolling Road is in blue (I mention that to help give a sense of scale since Long Branch didn't exist then):"

Map #3:

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Source: Why is there no DC/NOVA bypass?

[Joke Insurance]

The Northern Virginia Expressway at I-95 from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Monticello Freeway at I-495 from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Monticello Freeway at Wakefield Chapel Road from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Monticello Freeway at Burke Lake Road from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Monticello Freeway at The Northern Virginia Expressway from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Northern Virginia Expressway at I-66 from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Northern Virginia Expressway at US 50 from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Potomac Freeway at The Potomac River Crossing from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

The Four Mile Run Expressway at I-395 from the 1969 Northern Virginia Major Thoroughfare Plan:

[Hudlander]

Oh we absolutely needed the Monticello freeway...would have been great if it was a parkway....taking traffic off 66 and being a low density companion to 66 as the Merrit Parkway is to 95.

Also desperately needed the outer beltway....again absurd I have to go through 20 traffic lights to get from Centreville to 95 south. Stupid.

[Nate_VA]

I think if these highways were built in Fairfax County it would have spurred development even farther out into Loudoun and Fauquier Counties a long time ago. I'm not saying it wouldn't have helped ease traffic for many in Fairfax, but it would have pushed the suburbs to the hinterlands. If you build it, they will come.

[dkf747]

Seems like they came anyways.

[Old Guard]

Interesting information Joker Insurance!

[gomason]

Originally Posted by Hudlander

Also desperately needed the outer beltway....again absurd I have to go through 20 traffic lights to get from Centreville to 95 south. Stupid.

The Outer Beltway is already half built - it's called the Fairfax Pkwy. True only about half the intersections are grade separated interchanges but it's slowly becoming a mega highway between 95 and 66. I know there are already plans to add interchanges at Popes Head Rd and several others as well as add an HOV lane.

[Joke Insurance]

Another image of the once proposed double Potomac River crossing in Alexandria

[Joke Insurance]

Here are some more maps of the canceled highways in Northern Virginia, and around the DC area as a whole:

[dkf747]

That would have been great! Two more bridges over the Potomac. I would settle for one.