Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange partial opening June 2

FAIRFAX – On Tuesday, June 2, around 10 a.m., the new Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) and Popes Head Road (Route 654) interchange with triple roundabouts will partially open to traffic, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Popes Head Road, which has been closed at Fairfax County Parkway since the traffic signal was taken out of service May 27, will reopen with drivers able to use the new overpass.

Parts of interchange open to traffic

• Southbound Fairfax County Parkway to eastbound and westbound Popes Head Road.
• Eastbound and westbound Popes Head Road to northbound Fairfax County Parkway.

Parts of interchange closed to traffic until this fall

• Northbound Fairfax County Parkway to eastbound and westbound Popes Head Road: Traffic will be detoured via northbound Fairfax County Parkway, westbound Braddock Road (Route 620), and southbound Fairfax County Parkway back to eastbound and westbound Popes Head Road.
• Eastbound and westbound Popes Head Road to southbound Fairfax County Parkway: Traffic will be detoured via northbound Fairfax County Parkway and westbound Braddock Road back to southbound Fairfax County Parkway.

Drivers are asked to use caution when navigating the interchange bridges, ramps and roundabouts, and are also asked to follow posted detour signs.

The Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange project, scheduled for completion this fall, also includes:

• Building a short segment of the future Shirley Gate Road extension that will provide pedestrian and vehicle access to the future Patriot Park (Fairfax County is designing the rest of the Shirley Gate extension).
• Constructing a shared-use path linking the Fairfax County Parkway Trail to the future Patriot Park.
• Reconstructing the Fairfax County Parkway Trail.
• Installing a sidewalk along the north side of Popes Head Road.
• Extending Ladues End Lane to the new roundabout at Popes Head Road.

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.

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