Weather permitting, the Virginia Department of Transportation will continue nighttime closures on Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) between Burke Centre Parkway (Route 643) and Braddock Road (Route 620). The closures are scheduled from Monday night, May 12, through Thursday night, May 15. These closures aim to install beams for the future Shirley Gate Road extension overpass as part of the Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road interchange project.
Each night from May 12 to May 15, between 10 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., both northbound and southbound lanes will experience full closures. Northbound traffic will be detoured via Burke Centre Parkway, Route 123 (Ox Road), and Braddock Road back to northbound Fairfax County Parkway. Southbound traffic will follow a similar detour route in reverse order.
The section of southbound Fairfax County Parkway between Popes Head Road and Burke Centre Parkway will remain open for local traffic only. Those needing access to Nomes Court, Ladues End Lane, and Colchester Meadow Lane will be directed via an alternate route involving Burke Centre Parkway, Route 123, Popes Head Road, and southbound Fairfax County Parkway.
Drivers should anticipate significant delays during these hours and are encouraged to consider alternative routes.
The interchange project aims to replace the current traffic signal at Fairfax County Parkway and Popes Head Road with an interchange featuring triple roundabouts for improved traffic flow via two new bridges over the parkway. Additional construction includes a segment of the Shirley Gate Road extension providing access to Patriot Park, a shared-use path connecting the Fairfax County Parkway Trail to Patriot Park, reconstruction of the trail itself, a sidewalk along Popes Head Road’s north side, and extending Ladues End Lane to connect with a new roundabout at Popes Head Road.
Completion of this project is anticipated by late 2026. Travelers are advised to exercise caution in active work zones by being alert to changing traffic patterns and minimizing distractions.
For updates on traffic conditions or incidents, visit 511.vdot.virginia.gov or use the free mobile app “511Virginia.” You can also call 511 within Virginia anytime for information.
