Section Of George Washington Parkway Getting A Federal Facelift

Staff Report, Virginia Mercury

July 18, 2022

The northern section of the 25-mile George Washington Memorial Parkway is getting a $161 million renovation job, the first for that part of the scenic National Park Service road since it was constructed in 1962.

The project is one of the largest individual items in the Great American Outdoors Act, which was passed in 2020 to fix a massive maintenance backlog at U.S. national parks. A groundbreaking Monday drew Virginia’s two senators, several U.S. representatives and other officials.

The parkway, managed by the National Park Service, sees more than 70,000 vehicles a day and runs from Great Falls to Mount Vernon along the Virginia bank of the Potomac River. Workers will replace asphalt, the drainage system, redesign parts of the Route 123 interchange, repair stormwater management systems and lengthen some entrance and exit lanes, according to U.S. Interior Department news release. The work is expected to be finished in late 2025 and one lane of traffic in each direction will remain open at all times, the department said.

“This historic investment in the parkway will improve visitor safety, preserve the road’s historic design and ensure that future generations can use and enjoy this scenic roadway,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

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