Article Text

The Virginia Department of Transportation is proposing an $8.7 million reconstruction of a section of Popes Head Road near Fairfax Station, saying the work could improve safety at an S-curve between Quiet Brook Road and Revercomb Court.

VDOT presented the conceptual plan during a July 28 public information meeting. The proposal covers about one-fifth of a mile of Route 654 and would straighten the curve, improve sight distance and upgrade drainage with stormwater management systems.

“The existing condition is pretty clearly unsafe,” Minwoo Ha, a VDOT engineering manager, said during the meeting. “There is no real escape route.”

The road carries approximately 1,700 vehicles daily, according to VDOT’s presentation. However, VDOT staff said available crash data does not show many crashes on the segment. Residents said some roadway runoffs and other incidents may go unreported, creating a disagreement over how fully documented the safety problem is.

Residents also questioned whether straightening the curve could produce unintended consequences. Concerns raised during the meeting included tree removal, the possible loss of the area’s character and beauty, speeding and whether the existing S-curve helps slow drivers.

“I walk on Popes Head every day, and it is a dangerous road,” one resident said.

Another resident said, “It’s going to be worse if that hill is removed, and I think it will destroy the beauty of the area.”

VDOT said additional traffic counts, analysis and alternatives review would take place after funding is identified and before a preferred concept is selected. The agency is working with Fairfax County to identify potential funding sources, but the project is currently unfunded.

VDOT’s preliminary estimate divides the $8.7 million total into $1.3 million for preliminary engineering, $1.1 million for right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation, and $6.3 million for construction. Because the plan remains conceptual, its final scope and cost could change.

The agency estimates that project development—including funding, design and right-of-way work—could take about three years. Construction could then last 12 to 18 months.

The curve reconstruction is separate from the nearby Popes Head Road and Fairfax County Parkway interchange project, which is scheduled for completion in fall 2026. VDOT said the curve was not included in that project because construction costs were escalating and adding the work could have affected the interchange project’s final cost. Incorporating the curve later would also have required reopening the environmental process, according to VDOT.

VDOT said public support is needed for the project to move forward. Written comments on the proposal are due to the agency by Aug. 12, 2026. The final design, selected alternative, funding source, total cost and construction schedule have not been determined.