News Release

The National Park Service is planning for a major rehabilitation of the George Washington Memorial Parkway

Date: June 14, 2018
Contact: Jonathan Shafer, 202-619-7186

McLean, VA – The National Park Service (NPS) is approaching the end of our planning process so we can rehabilitate the north section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), and we want you to comment on how we are proposing to do that. The project would involve road and bridge work from Spout Run to Interstate 495.

 

We began this process because the northern part of the parkway is reaching the end of its design lifespan. The National Park Service wants to rehabilitate the historic parkway so people will have a safe, scenic and smooth experiences there. We would like your comments on proposed work including:

 

• Making drives smoother by replacing the asphalt pavement

• Repairing stormwater management systems to keep excess water from damaging the road

• Improving safety by strengthening roadside barriers and constructing new concrete curbs

• Rehabilitating parts of two historic, scenic overlooks

• Lengthening entrance and exit lanes at some interchanges

 

You can learn about the project by reading our Environmental Assessment (EA). After you have done that, we want to know what you think about how we move forward. Comment during the a 30-day public review period, from June 14 to July 14, 2018.  

You can comment:

• In person at our open house on June 27, 2018 from 4:30 p.m to 6:30 p.m. at:

Turkey Run Park
700 George Washington Memorial Parkway
McLean, Virginia 22101

• Online through the park Planning, Environment & Public Comment webpage for the 2018 GWMP North Section Rehabilitation EA.

• By mail for letters postmarked by July 14, 2018

Attn: Superintendent

George Washington Memorial Parkway

c/o Turkey Run Park

700 George Washington Memorial Parkway

McLean, Virginia 22101

 

Engaging with you is a critical part of our preliminary engineering and planning process. It is also an important step to ensure work will begin soon after we secure funding for the project.

 

The George Washington Memorial Parkway is a scenic roadway and memorial to the first president of the United States, George Washington. When the National Park Service completed the northern part of the parkway in 1962, we used the most up to date road engineering methods of the time by integrating a wide, gently curving roadway with a grassy median, low stone guide walls and soaring steel-and-concrete arched bridges. The road work we are proposing would rehabilitate those features and sustain a critical link in our region’s transportation network.