Welcome to August, everyone!

I’ve been in office about seven months now, and my staff and I have been hard at work on a wide range of infrastructure projects (roads, intersections, sidewalks, trails). I thought now might be a good time to update everyone on the status of the many ongoing projects in the Ashburn and Lansdowne community. My thanks to Rachael and Joel for all their efforts on this important work.

One thing we’ve learned is that these types of projects generally take years to complete. Most jobs require a one-year study, one-year design and one-year build cycle (three total years), but that depends on the project’s complexity. Funding also has to be entered as a budget line item in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The recently completed intersections study has also provided us with a comprehensive list of intersection improvements needed throughout the county, and several of these are in our district. These are discussed in this issue of the Flyer.

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns. Just FYI, Rachael specializes in roads and intersections and Joel is focused on trails.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer…please be safe!

Mike Turner
Ashburn District Supervisor
Ashburn Infrastructure Projects
Ashburn Recreation and Community Center
Location: Broadlands Blvd, between Claiborne and Belmont Ridge Road

Facilities: 115,000 square feet double story complex that includes a competition pool, leisure pool, spa, teaching/catering kitchen, playroom, gymnasium classrooms, meeting rooms, office, and more fitness facilities. There will also be a multi-use trail surrounding the center, a courtyard, and a sitting area. 

Progress update: The need to implement an extra HVAC unit for redundancy resulted in a 4-month setback to the original schedule because the floor plans need to be revised to account for a large metal room that will house the extra HVAC unit. The design phase is now 50% complete, and advertisement for construction is expected to begin in Fall 2020. (DTCI Quarterly Report)

Ashburn Road Sidewalk
Location: East side of Ashburn Road, between Partlow Road and the W&OD Trail.

Purpose: to provide a safe area for pedestrians and bikers to travel along Ashburn Rd.

Progress timeline: Sidewalk is completed and crosswalks marked.

Farmwell Road Intersection Improvements
Location: along Farmwell Road, between its junction with Ashburn Road and Smith Switch Road

Purpose: To make improvements along Farmwell Road that make conditions safer for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians.

Progress update: Delayed receipt of the 30% design phase comments and the need to coordinate with an adjacent development resulted in the completion of the design phase being pushed to winter of 2021.
Belmont Ridge Road at the Dulles Greenway in Loudoun County
Location: At the Dulles Greenway interchange on Belmont Ridge Road

Purpose: To widen the original 2-lane road to a 4-lane road (2 lanes in each direction) and widen the bridge to 4 lanes within the allowance of the original deck. Additionally, the project includes implementation of a flashing yellow arrow to direct left turn traffic from Belmont Ridge Rd to Dulles Greenway, signage on the on- and off-ramps, and improvements to the ramp going from Belmont Ridge Rd to eastbound Dulles Greenway. There will also be 2-foot shoulder for drivers at the interchange and on the bridge. All of this will help with controlling congestion and improving the safety of drivers.

Progress update: Road and bridge widening is at the stage of substantial completion, meaning that the road is open to traffic and the traffic signals are in operation. The remaining details are projected for completion in Fall 2020.

Metro Station Area Pedestrian Improvements
Location: around the Ashburn and Loudoun Gateway metro rail stations

Purpose: to implement biker and pedestrian facilities around the stations

Progress update: “The topographic survey, utility survey and the public hearing plan are nearing completion. Project delivery and public involvement strategies are under development,” from VDOT Meeting July Minutes 2020.  

This project is led and funded by VDOT.
Ashburn Senior Center
Location: Marblehead Dr, next to Potomac Green Neighborhood Park (This is located in the Broad Run District but will serve residents in Ashburn District as well.)

Purpose: To build the first senior center in Ashburn and equip it with many facilities, including a small gym and a large multipurpose room consisting of pickleball courts, classrooms, a commercial kitchen, a game room, computer lab, fitness room, and arts-and-crafts area. The building will be 15,000 square feet, and will be built on a 5-acre proffered site.

Progress update: The foundations and building pad are installed. Starting in quarter 4, the structural steel and framing will begin, along with MEP rough-in. The construction phase is 20% complete and is estimated to be finished in Summer 2021. (DTCI Quarterly Report)

Paving and Slurry Projects
Purpose: To repave or apply a slurry seal to existing roadways where needed. (Slurry seal is a mix of asphalt emulsion and aggregate that is spread over the entire roadway surface. It is applied by a truck equipped with a squeegee or spreader box.)

Remaining Locations:

Belmont Ridge Rd, from 283' N of C/L at Promenade Dr to F/L at Riverside Pkwy

Riverside Pkwy, from 0.1 Mi E of C/L at Upper Meadow Dr to 70' W of C/L at Belmont Ridge Rd

Riverside Pkwy, from 40' W of C/L at Kingsport Dr to 45' W of C/L at Belmont Ridge Rd

Progress: Progress can be tracked here.
Ashburn Road Restriping
Location: 1 mile along Ashburn Road, from Russell Branch Parkway to Gloucester Parkway

Purpose: To reduce crashes and injuries by altering the current 4-lane, undivided roadway to a 2-lane roadway with a shared turn lane. The roadway is flanked by a biker lane on each side to increase biker safety. The dimensions of the road will remain the same. 

Update: Complete (Pictured above on the right).
Intersection Improvements in Ashburn District
Purpose: To enhance responsiveness in addressing safety and operational problems at intersections, DTCI (Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure) proposed a data-driven plan to systematically identify problematic intersections in advance of incidents or complaints. This plan involved conducting an inventory of 544 non-signalized intersections along roadways listed in the Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP). The plan evaluated intersection risk using two primary factors: traffic volumes and crash history. From this data, the intersections were ranked on a scale from one to five, from the lowest level of need (Ranking 1) to the highest level of need (Ranking 5). 

Intersections in Ashburn District in the top 20 level 5 rankings:
1.     Claiborne Pkwy/Marshfield Dr/Crossroads Dr
2.     Ashburn Road/Faulkner Pkwy
3.     Claiborne Pkwy/Dulles Greenway WB Ramp
4.     Ashburn Rd/Waxpool Rd/Ryan Corner Place (already in design phase)

Progress Update: The next phase of Intersection Improvement Program funds will become available in FY 2022. These funds have been programmed for use to initiate design and construction services, and land acquisition of the recommended improvements.
Resources
Report a road problem

VDOT created an easy to use online form to report unsafe and hazardous road conditions. Similarly, work requests for state-maintained roads can also be made here.
Paving Schedule

VDOT reports what roads will be paved during the fiscal year and updates their website with progress updates.

Find VDOT's Paving Schedule here.
Residential Traffic Calming Guide

Loudoun County’s Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure (DTCI) manages an eight-phase process to address traffic calming, which considers residents’ concerns regarding speeding, safety and overall quality of life on publicly-maintained residential streets.

Learn more here.
Who Maintains my Street?

To identify which entity responsible for maintaining your road/street, Loudoun County made an online color coded mapping system which helps residents determine who to contact when work needs to be done.

View this map here.
VDOT 511

511 provides users with real-time, accurate traffic information from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) about road conditions, traffic congestion, and highway construction anywhere you are, anytime you need it. 

More information on VDOT 511 can be found here.
Online Process for Building Permits, Land Development Applications 

Homeowners and residential contractors can submit their completed application form and supporting documentation, including drawings and plats, in PDF format for most residential construction projects to the Department of Building and Development online. More information about the online submission process and requirements is available here.
How to Help
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Contact my Office
Because your voice plays such a vital role in the decision-making process, a critical role for me as your county representative is to provide you with the necessary facts to keep you informed about any and all issues affecting you or your family’s quality of life. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or my staff. 
Mike Turner
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Supervisor
703-777-0205
Rachael Mai
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Chief of Staff
703-737-8180
Joel Gicker
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Legislative Aide
703-737-8509
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