"Quiet-Pavement" Materials to be Tested on Route 7 Bypass in Leesburg

Governor Bob McDonnell recently signed legislation that could make the constant loud "whoosh" of car and truck tires on the highway a bit quieter after VDOT repaves the driving surfaces of certain high-speed roads. The legislation directs the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to construct several demonstration projects to further study "quiet-pavement" technologies. These projects will help determine how well the new pavements perform over two winters in Virginia.

Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-Fairfax) sponsored HB 2001, which amends the 2009 Virginia law requiring VDOT to consider using pavement materials that reduce tire noise when resurfacing appropriate roads (Code of Virginia § 33.1-223.2:21).

The Quiet Pavement Task Force is a cooperative group consisting of representatives from VDOT and the asphalt and concrete paving industries. The group studies and identifies roads around the Commonwealth that would be candidates for quiet-pavement installations.

VDOT will install five demonstration projects to assess the performance of such materials for two years. They are all on four-lane, divided high-speed roads with good underlying pavement structures.

The three locations selected for the asphalt "quiet" technologies include the Route 7 Bypass in Leesburg.

Following a year-long pilot begun in 2008, VDOT obtained positive results from a quiet-pavement installation on a section of Route 234 in Manassas using a hot-mix asphalt known as "porous friction course," or PFC. This "open-graded mix" allows air and water to seep down from the road surface away from tires. It reduces hydroplaning, tire noise, and splash and spray. The improved drainage also cuts wet-night glare and improves the visibility of road markings.

"VDOT's research arm, the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, has been a national leader in developing real-world testing scenarios for the latest highway technologies and working with VDOT engineers to implement them for the benefit of all who use Virginia roads," Governor McDonnell said. "These demonstration projects will take results from one recent study and put them to work to make our roads safer and last longer, and to improve the quality of life for those living near the roadways."

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Expect Delays Near Route 7 Bypass in Leesburg on Sunday and Monday

Tomorrow, Sunday, September 19, and Monday, September 20, motorists will experience major traffic delays on Market Street (Route 7 Business) near the Route 7 Bypass in Leesburg while Dominion Virginia Power crews continue pulling wires across roadways for the new power line. Traffic will be stopped for up to 20 minutes at a time from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. on Sunday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.

Three ramps will also be affected; the ramp from northbound Leesburg Bypass to eastbound Market Street, the ramp from northbound Leesburg Bypass to westbound Market Street, and the ramp from southbound Leesburg Bypass to eastbound Market Street.

State Police and VDOT will monitor traffic queues and if traffic backups become significant will temporarily suspend stoppages to relieve the queues.

The work is part of Dominion Virginia Power’s construction of a 12-mile, high-voltage power line from a new substation northwest of Hamilton, near the intersection of Berlin Turnpike and Route 7, to a substation off Cochran Mill Road east of Leesburg. The project requires crews to string electric lines along about nine miles of VDOT roads, crossing them a total of 15 times. Periodic traffic stops will continue through mid-September.

For more information about Dominion’s project and for updates on traffic stops, visit www.dom.com and enter "Pleasant View" in the search bar.

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Major Delays Expected Today on Route 7/15 Bypass in Leesburg

Don't forget... major delays -- up to 20 minutes -- expected today, Sunday, Sept. 12, on the Route 7/15 Bypass in Leesburg while Dominion Virginia Power crews continue pulling wires across roadways for a new power line. The work is expected to start this morning at 6 a.m. and last all day until 8 p.m.

Traffic stops will occur on the east and westbound lanes of the Route 7/15 Bypass, just west of Sycolin Road. Traffic stops will also occur on Sycolin Road at the Route 7/15 Bypass. Motorists heading to Leesburg can use Battlefield Parkway to avoid major delays.

The work is part of Dominion Virginia Power’s construction of a 12-mile, high-voltage power line from a new substation northwest of Hamilton, near the intersection of Berlin Turnpike and Route 7, to a substation off Cochran Mill Road east of Leesburg.

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