Franconia–Springfield Parkway

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State Route 289 marker
State Route 289
Franconia–Springfield Parkway
Route information
Maintained by VDOT
Length3 mi (4.8 km)
Major junctions
West end SR 286 at West Springfield
Major intersections I-95 HOV lanes in Springfield
East end SR 613 in Franconia
Highway system
← SR 288SR 289→ SR 290

The Franconia–Springfield Parkway (SR 289, formerly SR 7900[1]) is a short east–west spur near the south end of the Fairfax County Parkway, leading east through Springfield and serving the Franconia–Springfield Metro station. While SR 286 has access to the main lanes of I-95 (Shirley Highway), SR 289 interchanges with the reversible HOV lanes in the median of I-95.

In 2001, SR 289 was named the Joseph V. Gartlan Jr. Parkway.[2] Joseph V. Gartlan Jr. was a state senator who served Fairfax County for 28 years.[3][4] This name is ceremonial, and is rarely used by the public.[5]

Route description[]

View west along SR 289 at SR 613 in Franconia
Franconia–Springfield Parkway crossing Accotink Creek
View east at the west end of SR 289 where it junctions with SR 286

SR 289 begins at an intersection with Beulah Street (SR 613), with Manchester Boulevard/Kingstowne Boulevard continuing east to Van Dorn Street. The road heads west, with interchanges at the Franconia–Springfield Metro/VRE station, Frontier Drive, the Shirley Highway reversible HOV lanes, and Backlick Road (SR 617). At the Rolling Road (SR 638) interchange, SR 289 ends and merges with SR 286. Rolling Road south of the interchange was rebuilt to carry SR 286, and a large loop ramp is designed for northbound SR 286 traffic. Beyond this interchange, SR 286 has two diamond interchanges, with Sydenstricker Road/Gambrill Road (SR 640) and Pohick Road (SR 641)/Hooes Road (SR 636), before a stretch of several miles with only at-grade intersections. From Backlick Road (SR 617) west to this SR 636 interchange, the parkway paralleled and replaced the existing Hooes Road (SR 636).[6]

The Fairfax County Parkway and its branch to Franconia generally have interchanges at major roads, traffic signals intermediate roads, and right-in/right-out (RIRO) intersections with minor roads and neighborhood streets. Along the main parkway (SR 286), there are 17 full or partial interchanges and 39 signals, with eleven of those signals at interchanges; the Franconia–Springfield Parkway (SR 289) has five interchanges and only three signals. In addition, there are many unsignalized intersections along the road, but none of these are driveways, since the road is limited-access.[7] The road generally has a speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h).[8]

History[]

The idea for the Springfield Bypass started in the 1970s as a bypass of SR 644 (Old Keene Mill Road) in Springfield. It was soon expanded, by 1978, to include most of what is now the Fairfax County Parkway, which had been originally planned as part of the unbuilt Outer Beltway.[9][10] The Commonwealth Transportation Board approved final plans on July 16, 1987 for the 33-mile (53 km) road, including the spur to Franconia providing access to the Shirley Highway HOV lanes and the Franconia–Springfield Metrorail station.[11][12]

The Franconia Spur was already known as Kingstowne Boulevard at its east end.[13] By 1989, the permanent Franconia–Springfield Parkway name had been applied to the portion west of State Route 613 (Beulah Street); the rest of the road was not built as part of the project, and now carries the Manchester Boulevard and Kingstowne Boulevard names.[14]

The first piece of the Franconia–Springfield Parkway, a short bypass of Hooes Road (SR 636) from Rolling Road (SR 638) east over Accotink Creek to near Lackawanna Drive, opened on August 7, 1989.[15] The rest of this spur to Beulah Street (SR 613) in Franconia opened on June 8, 1992, along with the reversible HOV ramps to the Shirley Highway (I-95/I-395).[16] (The Franconia–Springfield station did not open for Virginia Railway Express and Metrorail trains until four and five years later, respectively;[17][18] the interchange at Frontier Drive serving the station opened in December 1995).[19]

On February 16, 2012, the Franconia–Springfield Parkway was designated SR 289.[1]

Major intersections[]

The entire parkway is in Fairfax County.

Locationmi[20]kmDestinationsNotes
West Springfield0.000.00 SR 286 (Fairfax County Parkway) / SR 638 (Rolling Road)Western terminus; interchange
Springfield1.602.57 SR 617 (Backlick Road)Interchange
1.722.77
 I-95 Express
2.223.57
 (Frontier Drive) to I-95		Interchange
Franconia–Springfield Metro StationInterchange; westbound access is at SR 2677
Franconia3.084.96 SR 613 (Beulah Street) / Manchester Boulevard (SR 8113)Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Three Major Parkways Now Primary Roads". Virginia Department of Transportation. February 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  2. ^ "Chapter 734, S. 291". March 26, 2001. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
  3. ^ "United Region Puts Schools, Roads on Top of Wish List". The Washington Post. January 3, 2001. p. T1.
  4. ^ "After 28 Years, Va. Lawmaker Calling It Quits". The Washington Post. February 20, 1999. p. B1.
  5. ^ Kelly, John (April 21, 2005). "Honored in All but Name". The Washington Post. p. T10.
  6. ^ Google Maps street maps and satellite imagery, accessed October 2007[full citation needed]
  7. ^ Google Maps street maps and satellite imagery, accessed October 2007[full citation needed]
  8. ^ McCarty, Glenn (October 14, 2005). "Removing Speed from the 'Speedway'". Burke Connection. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  9. ^ "Virginia Referendums – No and Yes". The Washington Post. October 31, 1992. p. A22.
  10. ^ Grubisich, Thomas (February 6, 1978). "Bypass in Fairfax Still Long Way Off". The Washington Post. p. C4.
  11. ^ "Springfield Bypass Near Approval". The Washington Post. July 16, 1987. p. C9.
  12. ^ "State Rebuffs N. Virginia On Rte. 28 Rail Line". The Washington Post. July 17, 1987. p. C3.
  13. ^ "Government Actions". The Washington Post. June 23, 1988. p. V4.
  14. ^ "Guaranty Bank Comes to Maryland". The Washington Post. May 15, 1989. p. F11.
  15. ^ Bates, Steve (August 8, 1989). "New Fairfax Road Has More Monikers Than Miles". The Washington Post. p. D3.
  16. ^ Fehr, Stephen C. (June 7, 1992). "Bridge Set to Ease Springfield Traffic". The Washington Post. p. B7.
  17. ^ Smith, Leef (July 18, 1996). "VRE Adds A Pearl to Its String". The Washington Post. p. V2.
  18. ^ Tousignant, Marylou (June 27, 1997). "At Last, Metro Reaches End of the Blue Line". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  19. ^ Reid, Alice (December 12, 1995). "3 Interchanges Opening Along Fairfax Parkway". The Washington Post. p. E3.
  20. ^ "Jurisdiction Report" (PDF). Virginia Department of Transportation. 2009. pp. 734–735. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
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