• The City hosted a public meeting on Monday, April 17th at Bishop Ireton. The presentation  covered the concepts for both the West Taylor Run intersection and the access point at Telegraph Road. 

  • As a result of the feedback at this meeting and after, the right turn lane’s location is being re-evaluated based on the most recent comments about access, cut-through and traffic flow. We have received many comments that require us to review the appropriate balance of each concern and as such will take us some time. More information will be shared when available.

  • The following elements of the project though will still be continued as we re-evaluate the right-turn lane's location:
    • Permanent access closure from West Taylor Run Parkway to Telegraph
    • Improved pedestrian access between Eastbound Duke Travel Lanes and the Ramp
    • Relocation of the bus stops to the intersection
    • New Telegraph Road access point (compact intersection concept)
    • See FAQs  at the bottom of the page 

• This project is being closely coordinated with Duke Street Transitway corridor redesign project. 

The City is worked through two pilot projects aimed at reducing regional cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets and shifting traffic onto the major arterials.  To do this, we also must improve the flow of traffic on the arterials and make those routes faster than cutting through the neighborhoods. On April 23, 2023, the City and Traffic and Parking Board recommended to extend the pilot  phase II measures permanently. 

• Phase II included reinstating Phase I signal timing AND restricting access from West Taylor Run Parkway to the Telegraph Road ramp.  The pilot will tested how traffic patterns shift for cut-through drivers as well as the impact on the immediate neighborhood.  The larger intersection project proposes this closure and based on the outcome of the pilot phase II results, the has been permanently extended to the construction of this project. 

• The traffic mitigation Phase I pilot used signal timing changes to successfully reduce cut-through traffic trips during the afternoon rush hour on West Taylor Run Parkway by 47% and even more on other neighborhood streets, shifting the traffic to Quaker Lane.  

• Visit the project page for more information about the Duke Street Traffic Mitigation Pilots.

The Duke and West Taylor Run Parkway intersection has been the topic of discussion for a number of years and was identified as a high crash location through the City's Vision Zero Program.  The Central Alexandria Traffic Study (CATS) Task Force took a comprehensive look at traffic issues in the area and included among the final recommendations that City staff pursue short- and long-term improvements to the intersection of Duke Street, and West Taylor Run Parkway and their impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.   The Task Force, comprised of civic association leaders,  recommended The City began to address the recommendations immediately and sought funding for both short and long-term solutions and Redesign the W. Taylor Run - Duke Street Intersection, with the primary objectives of reducing cut-through traffic and improving safety.  The city was then awarded $5.7M funds from Virginia’s Smart Scale Program contributing to the redesign of the West Taylor Run Parkway intersection, as well as additional access to the Telegraph Road interchange.

 In February 2019, the City hosted a community meeting to get input on the concerns and issues at the intersection of Duke Street and West Taylor Run Parkway. The concept plan that was included in the grant application was shared, and the community provided feedback on the design.  The team discussed the timeline, funding, and process for community engagement for both the short and long-term recommendations for this project.  However, the project was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic due staffing needs for other City priorities.  

In 2021, the City project team expanded to include consultants who would assist with traffic analysis and concept designs for both the ramp and the intersection.  They also worked with the community to design a two-phase Pilot that would test various signal timing and intersection design options to measure the impact of traffic congestion along Duke Street and alleviate cut-through traffic in the neighborhoods.  The first pilot was completed in April 2021 and showed very positive results.  The second pilot is ongoing and will be completed in March 2023. Staff engaged with the community in fall 2022 to cover design options for the West Taylor Run and Duke Street project.  

The project team will evaluate the feedback from the community and consider a design that best meets the goals of the project, aligns with the CATs Task Force Recommendation, the Alexandria Mobility Plan and the goals of Vision Zero.  

• The City hosted a community meeting on November 15. 

  • View the recorded PRESENTATION

• The City proceeded forward in evaluating the Telegraph Road access point with the standard intersection design and the compact intersection design. The concepts included controlled pedestrian crossings at one or both ramps. The evaluation includes both environmental and operational assessments which determined the preffered design of the compact intersection. 

  • Standard intersection design graphic

  • Compact intersection design graphic

• Multimodal Transportation Analysis  - Ongoing
• First Round of Community Outreach/ Engagement – Completed in Nov-Dec 2022
• Concept Design – Summer 2023
• Second Round of Community Outreach/ Engagement – Completed April 2023
• Community Outreach/ Engagement – Summer 2023
• Design - Expected to Start Fall 2023
• Construction - 2024/2025 (Potential for short-term mitigation implementation earlier)

• West Taylor Run and Duke Street Project Information Boards
• Duke Street Traffic Mitigation Pilots 
• Central Alexandria Traffic Study Community Meeting – 2/4/2019
  • Meeting Agenda
  • Meeting Presentation
  • Central Alexandria Traffic Study (CATS) Recommendations Progress
  • CATS Comments Summary

Contact: Daniel.Scolese@AlexandriaVA.gov