Prince William elected officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of University Boulevard at the intersection of University and Hornbaker Road Friday at 10 a.m.
University Boulevard, a 4-lane road and bicycle/multi-use path, extends one miles from Sudley Manor Drive in Bristow to Hornbaker Road in Manassas. It is a quick route to Innovation Drive and points further north, and is expected to save time off many people’s morning and evening commutes, especially providing an easy transit to the Route 234 Bypass.
Board of County Supervisor, Chairman at-Large Corey Stewart kicked off the ceremony with a speech.
He said University Boulevard is just one road in a “network of projects” to improve transportation in the county, and that over recent years Prince William County has spent $600 million on road construction and improvement, more than any other county in the area.
Before the passage of the bi-partisan transportation bill, transportation was underfunded in Northern Virginia, which is why the county had to be creative in funding road improvement projects.
According to Stewart, “we are starting to see some improvement in congestion.”
However, he said residents should expect more road improvements as the General Assembly approved more road improvement funds to the tune of $500 million for the region.
He thanked State Senator Chuck Colgan for his work legislating to bring road improvements projects to western Prince William, especially along Route 29 and Route 66.
He also thanked the county team, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the Shirley Construction team for opening University Boulevard.
Brentsville District Supervisor Wally Covington also spoke at the ceremony.
He said as the years go by and transportation improvement it is “getting tougher to remember there was a time when we in Prince William County sat-stuck in daily in local traffic.”
He said that while once it was difficult to fix the gridlock problem with escalating costs of construction, supervisors and county staff worked “outside of the box…seeking improvements via proffers, creating public-private partnerships,” and “redirecting collected recordation taxes and applying for grants.” Today “we are reaping the benefits,” of that effort he said.
Covington further mused that University Boulevard as a “fitting name for the newest road in western Prince William County,” since it “signals the future because it’s all about connectivity and possibility.” While Hornbaker was once a “curvy, farm lined rural route,” Covington said it now boasts “a high tech ‘duct bank’ a conduit through which all cables, utility, fibre optics, etc. can be places underground and out of site.”
He ended his speech saying that today is a proud day in which government delivered upon its promises.
Cyclists were also excited that the opening of the new road extends cycling/pedestrian paths throughout the county, offering more options for leisurely exercise and green transportation.
“It’s great for the commuters, especially around Bristow. There is a link to the multi-use trails from Linton Hall to Sudley Manor to University,” said Rick Holt of the Trails and Blue Ways Council.
Charlie Martorana, retired employee of the Service Authority, pointed out all the unseen work the Service Authority did underground building a major water transition vein along with the road.
“The worst thing is to build a road and then have to dig it up,” said David Rutherford of the Service Authority, who said a lot of planning and forethought went into the project.
Chairman Stewart thanked the other statesmen who came out for the ribbon cutting, including Covington; Delegate Jackson Miller, representing the 31st Virginia District of Bristow and Manassas; Supervisor of the Coles, and Chairman of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC) Marti Nohe; Supervisor of the Neabsco District John Jenkins; County Executive Melissa Peacor and Dave Rutherford, Member at Large of the Service Authority of Prince William.
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