LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA
Route 15 North Widening
PROVIDING SAFE ROADS FOR A BUSY ROADWAY SEGMENT
This task-order project addresses both safety and operational concerns along a segment of the Route 15 corridor to alleviate traffic congestion and provide a safer commute for local and regional traffic. Improvements span 3.5 miles of US Route 15, from Battlefield Parkway to Montresor Road. As roadway lead, J2 supported Loudoun County in the management of a multi-disciplinary team consisting of structural, traffic, utility coordination, geotechnical, environmental, and survey consultants. Key responsibilities included project oversight, roadway design, floodplain management, drainage, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, landscaping, and public involvement.
The Solution
THE SOLUTION
J2 developed a robust Public Involvement Plan that included a multi-faceted communication program; the team held iterative planning sessions and field walk-throughs with JTHG staff and other major project stakeholders. Our team worked closely with the County to ensure the development of construction plans that included context-sensitive design elements needed for overall public acceptance. We focused on proposing landscaping designs that included native plantings with color schemes and layouts that preserved the general look and feel of the corridor and accentuated the historic nature of Route 15. We proposed innovative solutions including the use of Best Management Practice (BMP) types that limit land disturbance and promote the preservation of surrounding topography for use in meeting the stormwater management requirements.
THE CHALLENGE
A National Scenic Byway since 2009, the Route 15 corridor is located within the Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) National Heritage Area. Project design and development required close coordination with local representatives of the JTHG to ensure the preservation of historical and cultural landscapes along the corridor.