Why was it built? Does it do its intended use? How come its not a limited access highway?

The Fairfax County Parkway was opened in sections. I think from 50 to I-66 was one of the first, then followed by 50 to Franklin Farms sometime in the early 90s.

Around 1990/1991 was when the Rolling to Hooes section was under construction, but it took forever, or seemed to... In or around 1995, the section from Hooes I-66 opened, and first opened with a speed limit of 35 mph like Pohick Rd had.

For some reason, I think the last bridge at Braddock Rd or perhaps 29 was a delay, and that's why it took so long to finish.

About the same time, the parkway was also extended to Elden St from Franklin Farms, but then again from Elden to Rt7 in 2000.

My memory is close, but the dates might be slightly off...

In the knowwwwwwww Wrote:
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> The Fairfax County Parkway was opened in sections.
> I think from 50 to I-66 was one of the first, then
> followed by 50 to Franklin Farms sometime in the
> early 90s.


That's "Franklin Farm". Singular. It was open north to West Ox by early 1990, because that's when we moved out this way. Boy, did it seem pointless at that point, going to West Ox and stopping!

> Around 1990/1991 was when the Rolling to Hooes
> section was under construction, but it took
> forever, or seemed to... In or around 1995, the
> section from Hooes I-66 opened, and first opened
> with a speed limit of 35 mph like Pohick Rd had.
>
> For some reason, I think the last bridge at
> Braddock Rd or perhaps 29 was a delay, and that's
> why it took so long to finish.
>
> About the same time, the parkway was also extended
> to Elden St from Franklin Farms, but then again
> from Elden to Rt7 in 2000.

I think it was a bit earlier that it went from West Ox to the Dulles Toll Road; the chunk up to Elden was a year or two later IIRC. I was commuting to Tyson's up until early 1997, and I remember using it for the last few years of that, north to 267.

> My memory is close, but the dates might be
> slightly off...

Yep, close! And I'm only 100% sure of the first section being before early 1990. But it may have been brand-new at that point.

The route of the money metal Fairfax County Parkway was originally intended to be a hurting outer Beltway but the shithead NIMBYs got it cancelled but not before the depressed section in Reston was built. Those NIMBYs wanted the bridge so their money neighborhood would not be permanently split. That's as far as it went back then.

So, donk, years later Fairfax came to its senses and built the money metal road.

It was built under the legal condition that it is literally required to have stoplights.

The other Outer Beltway was where Rte. 28 is now. It has no such hurting restrictions, ricky, and its commercial neighbors pay a special tax that has paid for its huge expansion projects over the past silly 20 years.

The Fairfax county parkway is the only reasonable way to get across the county most of the day. Getting to Springfield or reston is doable without zigzaging all over 123 or bouncing down to the beltway. Even with the lights, its reasonable most of the time. Traffic would be a lot worse if it hadn't been built. I run service all over Fairfax, and thats just my perspective.

Its a portion of the proposed Washington Outer Beltway.

Google the outer betlway you pleb