By Kafia A. Hosh
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Loudoun County will receive $6.325 million in its share of a $53 million federal stimulus package earmarked for regional transportation improvements.
At today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, county transportation director Terrie Laycock said that Loudoun would use $5.3 million of its share of the funds for upgrades toward the Waxpool Road at Church Road interchange.
The rest of the money would go toward projects in the towns of Leesburg and Purcellville. Leesburg would receive $900,000 toward the first phase of the South King Street widening project. Purcellville would net $125,000 to upgrade the sidewalks that are part of the Maple and Main streets project.
Improvements to the Waxpool Road bottleneck include the closure of a median break near Loudoun County Parkway, traffic signal modifications, extensions and additions of turn lanes and the installation of a variable message board.
Laycock said the Waxpool Road project was chosen because it fit the federal stimulus criteria of a project that could begin within one year of receiving funds.
She explained that the county was pressed for time and had until tomorrow to submit its transportation proposal to the Virginia Department of Transportation. Laycock said the county’s submission had to include a resolution of support from the board.
Supervisors voted to support the Waxpool Road project, saying that that it would improve safety and help ease congestion.
“We’re doing another thing to fix the operational efficiency of that really really problematic road,” said Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac.)
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