Traffic project across Route 123 down to 3 proposed roadways

Christopher Conklin of Vanesse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. presents information about the West Campus Connector at the November 1 town hall meeting as attendees examine the proposed plans. (Jake McLernon).

Campus Planning will finalize its plan for the construction of the West Campus Connector (WCC), a proposed road to ease travel between East and West Campus across Route 123, by Thursday, Nov. 10, as discussed in a town hall meeting earlier this week.

Three plans are currently under consideration, differing primarily in how the new road would connect to East Campus and whether the road passes in front or behind the Field House.  Whether the WCC will pass over or under Route 123 is also up for debate, with public opinion leaning towards an underpass, according to speakers at the meeting.

Whichever plan is decided upon, the WCC will allow students, faculty, and staff to drive in and out of campus more easily, according to Christopher Conklin, a principal with Vanesse Hangen Brustlin, a firm aiding Mason with the project.  Shuttle routes to the West Campus Parking Lot will also be shortened, Conklin said, and bicyclists and pedestrians would have a place to cross Route 123—all without affecting traffic on the major roadway.

Proposed WCC roads will let out on Braddock Road at or near Prestwick Drive, near the West Campus Parking Lot.

Next Steps

After a route is chosen, the next step in the process will be to send out a Request for Qualification (RFQ), which will allow Mason to determine which construction, architecture, and consulting firms are qualified to work on the project, according to Josh Cantor, director of Parking and Transportation Services.

Once a short list of qualified firms has been drafted, a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be sent to those firms.  The firms will then bid on the RFP, and the best bid will be selected by Mason to actually work on the project.

The RFP process will begin in February with hopes of choosing a team that consists of a construction firm, an architecture firm, and a consulting firm by June, according to Cantor.

Construction of the WCC will begin next fall, according to Cantor, with a projected completion by December 2013.

Additional Information

The WCC is entirely state-funded because of an expected improvement in traffic flow for the area. The improvement should mean a 15 percent reduction in vehicular traffic at the intersection of Braddock Road and Route 123 is expected, according to Conklin.

Other planned roadwork at Mason includes an expansion of Roanoke River Road, as well as improvements to George Mason Boulevard and University Drive near University Hall.

Any questions, comments, or feedback regarding the WCC project may directed to masonwcc@vhb.com.

Information about the WCC, including maps and scheduling, is available here.

The WCC project is part of a larger University Master Plan that includes numerous other scheduled improvement and growth projects.