Missing Link In Leesburg Trail System Nears Completion

LEESBURG, VA — Pedestrians and bicyclists will have a safe means of crossing the Route 15 Bypass at Battlefield Parkway this fall, the town of Leesburg said Monday. In addition to new crosswalks and pedestrian signals at the intersection, a new 10-foot wide asphalt trail will connect the existing trail on the west side of the bypass to the existing sidewalk on the east side of the bypass, completing a missing link in the town’s trail system.

Construction on the new trail and crosswalks began in June with tree removal. Replacement trees will be planted in the fall, so there will be no net loss of tree canopy, the town said.

Installation of the pedestrian signals is currently underway. Trail paving will be completed in mid-September as long as a weather permits crews to finish the project, according to the town.

Meanwhile, northeast of the Route 15 bypass intersection, Battlefield Parkway between Russell Branch Parkway and the Marketplace at Potomac Station shopping center entrance will be closed through next spring to allow crews to construct an overpass as part of the new interchange at Route 7 and Battlefield Parkway, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The traffic signal at the Route 7 intersection with Battlefield Parkway in Leesburg was removed Sunday night.

The $77.3 million project is replacing the former traffic signal at Route 7 (East Market Street) and Battlefield Parkway with an interchange. According to VDOT, other improvements include:

• Removing the signal at Route 7 and Cardinal Park Drive and modifying the intersection.
• Adding auxiliary lanes on eastbound Route 7 from the Leesburg Bypass to the new Battlefield Parkway interchange, and from the Battlefield Parkway interchange to River Creek Parkway.
• Constructing a shared-use path along northbound Battlefield Parkway and a sidewalk along southbound Battlefield Parkway.
• Adding a second left turn lane from southbound Battlefield Parkway to Fort Evans Road, and a second left turn lane from northbound River Creek Parkway to Fort Evans Road. The turn lanes opened to traffic this month.