PW Parkway Becomes Primary Road, Receives New Name

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Routine travelers of Prince William Parkway will be taking a new route, but they will hardly notice.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board has upgraded the roadway to a "primary road," which qualifies the road for new funding for projects as well as  a new name.

The upgrade comes as the 16-mile road carries between 25,000 and 54,000 vehicles each day.

According to a statement by the Virginia Department of Transportation, "The Prince William Parkway (Route 3000), which runs from Route 1 to Route 234, will be renamed Route 294."

Furthermore, this new designation grants the road additional funding for upgrades and maintenance projects.

"As primary roads, the routes can receive federal funding for paving, guardrail, bridge improvements and other projects," a representative from VDOT said.

Typically 80% of the cost of maintaining interstates and primary roads come from federal funds, the remaining 20 percent is from state funds.

Motorists will begin to see new signage in the next three months. These sign will initially bear both the old number and the new one.

"Drivers will see the old route number alongside the new route number for about a year so that hotels, businesses, map companies, etc. have ample time to update their materials," VDOT said.

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