Officials Celebrate Columbia Pike Transportation Upgrades In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington and regional officials gathered on the west end of Columbia Pike on Monday to celebrate the completion of improvements designed to provide a safer pedestrian and vehicle experience along the major transportation corridor.

The event, held at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Jefferson Street, marked the conclusion of two years of construction on a 3.5-mile stretch of Columbia Pike between the county line at Bailey's Crossroads and South Four Mile Run Drive. Funding for the project included a $12 million grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

The goal of the project is to make Columbia Pike a safer, more accessible route for all users. "Arlington is transforming this main thoroughfare into a complete street that balances all modes of travel and supports high-quality, high-frequency transit service," the project website says.

On Monday, officials recognized the completion of Segments H & I — the west end — of the Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements project. The improvements included widened sidewalks, durable concrete bus pads, upgraded streetlights and signals, reconfigured travel lanes, medians and left-turn lanes, and new trees.

“The Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements project is another great example of Northern Virginians’ taxpayer dollars hard at work,” NVTA CEO Monica Backmon said in a statement.

NVTA invests in transportation projects that enhance quality of life, strengthen the economy, and build resilience, said Backmon, who noted, “This project does just that.”

The officials gathered on Monday with artist Donald Lipski at the base of his sculpture, The Pike, to celebrate the completion of the project. Constructed from a reclaimed 50-foot-tall wind turbine wing, the sculpture serves as a gateway into Arlington County from Bailey’s Crossroads in Fairfax County.

The base of the sculpture is studded with thousands of coins from all over the world, collected from Arlington County residents. This references the history of Columbia Pike as a toll road in the 1800s. The upright position of the wing represents an open tollgate, welcoming people into the community.

“This project overhauls critical infrastructure to provide safe passage for the many people who travel on Columbia Pike by transit, but also brings much needed safety improvements to the residents who live here and walk along this major street every day,” said Christian Dorsey, vice-chair of the Arlington County Board.

The west end is one of seven segments of the Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements project to improve safety along on the corridor. Segments B, E, and G have been completed, and construction on Segment F — between South Wakefield Street and South Oakland Street — began in August and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Work on Segments C and D — from South Garfield Street to South Quinn Street — will begin in 2023. Segment A on the east end of Columbia Pike is part of a federal project to expand the Arlington National Cemetery.