Virginia State Route 123
Encyclopedia
Virginia State Route 123 (SR 123) is a primary state highway
in the U.S. state of Virginia
. The state highway runs 29.27 miles (47.1 km) from U.S. Route 1
(US 1) in Woodbridge
north to the Chain Bridge across the Potomac River
into Washington
from Arlington. SR 123 is a partial circumferential highway in Northern Virginia
that connects Woodbridge in eastern Prince William County
with the independent city
of Fairfax
and the Fairfax County
communities of Vienna
, Tysons Corner
, and McLean
, the last the home of the National Counterterrorism Center
and the Central Intelligence Agency
. The state highway also connects all of the major highways that radiate from Washington, including Interstate 95
, I-66
, US 29
, US 50
, SR 267
, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway
. Furthermore, SR 123 crosses another pair of circumferential highways, I-495
and the Fairfax County Parkway
, and SR 7
, a major northwest–southeast highway through Northern Virginia. The state highway is a part of the National Highway System
for its entire length.
Amtrak
and Virginia Railway Express
station and US 1's bridge over the Occoquan River in Woodbridge. The state highway heads north as Gordon Boulevard, a four- to six-lane divided highway. SR 123 meets I-95 at a partial cloverleaf interchange that contains a reversible ramp to and from the Interstate's HOV lanes in the direction of Washington. There is no access from southbound I-95 to southbound SR 123; that movement is provided indirectly via I-95's interchange with US 1 across the river in Fairfax County. The state highway passes through the eastern edge of the town of Occoquan
and crosses the Occoquan River on a six-lane bridge.
SR 123 continues into Fairfax County as Ox Road, which passes through the western part of Lorton
. The state highway passes by the former Lorton Reformatory
and reduces to four lanes north of SR 611 (Furnace Road). SR 123 passes northwest along the edge of the suburban communities of Laurel Hill
, Crosspointe
, and South Run
. The state highway serves the park surrounding Burke Lake
, then veers north through a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 7100 (Fairfax County Parkway) to the west of Burke Centre
. SR 123 crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway
's Washington District rail line, which also carries the Manassas Line
of Virginia Railway Express, at Fairfax Station
.
North of its intersection with SR 620 (Braddock Road), SR 123 passes along the west side of the campus of George Mason University, which includes the Patriot Center
. The university's athletic complex, including George Mason Stadium
, lies to the west of the state highway south of its intersection with University Drive, which heads east onto the campus as SR 383. North of University Drive, SR 123 enters the city of Fairfax and its name changes to Chain Bridge Road. The highway becomes undivided north of Judicial Drive; the state highway passes the Barbour House
, the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse
, and the Fairfax County offices and judicial center. North of SR 236
(Main Street), SR 123 reduces to two lanes and passes through an S-curve, then heads through a residential area before expanding to a four-lane divided highway at its intersection with US 29 and US 50 (Fairfax Boulevard).
SR 123 leaves the city of Fairfax at its partial cloverleaf interchange with I-66; the interchange includes a flyover ramp from westbound I-66 to southbound SR 123. The state highway curves northeast through Oakton
, then enters the town of Vienna and becomes four-lane undivided Maple Avenue just south of its intersection with SR 243
(Nutley Street). SR 123 intersects the Washington and Old Dominion Trail adjacent to the Vienna Town Green. The state highway becomes a divided highway named Chain Bridge Road again on leaving the town limits and entering Tysons Corner, at the southwest edge of which SR 123 has a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 7 (Leesburg Pike). SR 123 expands to six lanes and begins to parallel Washington Metro
's Silver Line
( under construction) and intersects SR 684 (International Drive) before passing between a pair of shopping malls: Tysons Galleria
to the north and Tysons Corner Center
to the south.
At the eastern edge of Tysons Corner, SR 123 passes under Westpark Drive has a cloverleaf interchange
with I-495 (Capital Beltway). The state highway, now named Dolley Madison Boulevard, follows the Silver Line northeast through office parks to a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 267 (Dulles Toll Road), which leads west to the Dulles Access Road (unsigned SR 90004) and Washington Dulles International Airport
and east to I-66. There is no access from northbound SR 123 to westbound SR 267; that movement requires using I-495. North of the interchange, in the hamlet of Lewinsville
, the state highway reduces to four lanes and intersects SR 694 (Lewinsville Road), which provides access to the National Counterterrorism Center. SR 123 passes through McLean, the center of which is accessed via SR 309
(Old Dominion Drive).
East of the center of McLean, SR 123 passes by the preserved Salona
estate and close to Hickory Hill
—a historic house on Chain Bridge Road that was home to Robert F. Kennedy
—in Langley, where the state highway meets the eastern end of SR 193
(Old Georgetown Pike). That state highway provides access to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm
on the campus of the George Bush Center for Intelligence
, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. The agency's southern main entrance is on SR 123. East of its partial cloverleaf interchange with the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the state highway's name becomes Chain Bridge Road and reduces to two lanes as it descends into the valley of the Potomac River. SR 123 passes by the Marden House
before entering the northwestern corner of Arlington County and meeting the northern end of SR 120 (Glebe Road). There, SR 123 turns north and crosses the Potomac River into Washington on the three-lane Chain Bridge, which leads to the Clara Barton Parkway into Maryland and Canal Road, which follows the river east to Georgetown.
Fairfax County is considering upgrading the intersection between SR 123 and SR 620 to a full interchange. The designs being considered are diamond
, modified diamond, single-point urban interchange (SPUI)
, and tight SPUI.
VDOT has drafted plans to create an interchange between SR 123 and US 1 in Woodbridge. However, due to budget cutbacks, the project has been put on hold.
On February 22, 2010, one lane of southbound SR 123 was closed for two years. The distance impacted is two blocks, from Scotts Crossing Road to the Capital Beltway
(I-495) in Tysons Corner
. This closure supports construction of the Silver Line
of the Washington Metro
.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The state highway runs 29.27 miles (47.1 km) from U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Virginia
U.S. Route 1 in the U.S. state of Virginia runs north–south through South Hill, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Alexandria on its way from North Carolina to the 14th Street Bridge into the District of Columbia...
(US 1) in Woodbridge
Woodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
north to the Chain Bridge across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
into Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from Arlington. SR 123 is a partial circumferential highway in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
that connects Woodbridge in eastern Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
with the independent city
Independent city
An independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity. These type of cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other sovereign state.-Historical precursors:In the Holy Roman Empire,...
of Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
and the Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
communities of Vienna
Vienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
, Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
, and McLean
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, the last the home of the National Counterterrorism Center
National Counterterrorism Center
The National Counterterrorism Center is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in a modern complex near McLean, Virginia called Liberty Crossing...
and the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. The state highway also connects all of the major highways that radiate from Washington, including Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
, I-66
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
, US 29
U.S. Route 29 in Virginia
U.S. Route 29 is a major north–south route in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers from the North Carolina border at the city of Danville to the Key Bridge in Washington, D.C....
, US 50
U.S. Route 50 in Virginia
U.S. Route 50 is a transcontinental highway which stretches from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. In the U.S. state of Virginia, US 50 extends from the border with Washington DC at a Potomac River crossing at Rosslyn in Arlington County to the West Virginia state line near Gore in...
, SR 267
Virginia State Route 267
State Route 267 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It consists of two end-to-end toll roads – the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Greenway – as well as the Dulles Access Road,...
, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
. Furthermore, SR 123 crosses another pair of circumferential highways, I-495
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
and the Fairfax County Parkway
Fairfax County Parkway
The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 7100, is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It provides a north–south arterial route in Fairfax County with a mix of interchanges and signalized and unsignalized intersections. Its alignment roughly corresponds to part of...
, and SR 7
Virginia State Route 7
State Route 7 is a major primary state highway and busy commuter route in Northern Virginia, United States. It travels southeast from downtown Winchester to State Route 400 in downtown Alexandria...
, a major northwest–southeast highway through Northern Virginia. The state highway is a part of the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
for its entire length.
Route description
SR 123 begins at an intersection with US 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway) between the WoodbridgeWoodbridge (Amtrak station)
The Woodbridge Station is located at 1040 Express Way in Woodbridge, Virginia. It serves the Amtrak Northeast Regional and the Virginia Railway Express Fredericksburg Line, and is one of two stations in Woodbridge to do so...
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Virginia Railway Express
Virginia Railway Express
The Virginia Railway Express is a regional/ commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia suburbs to Union Station in Washington, D.C., via two lines: the Fredericksburg Line from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run/Airport station in Bristow,...
station and US 1's bridge over the Occoquan River in Woodbridge. The state highway heads north as Gordon Boulevard, a four- to six-lane divided highway. SR 123 meets I-95 at a partial cloverleaf interchange that contains a reversible ramp to and from the Interstate's HOV lanes in the direction of Washington. There is no access from southbound I-95 to southbound SR 123; that movement is provided indirectly via I-95's interchange with US 1 across the river in Fairfax County. The state highway passes through the eastern edge of the town of Occoquan
Occoquan, Virginia
Occoquan is a town in Prince William County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 759 at the 2000 census, but as of the census of 2010, there were 934 people residing in the town of Occoquan. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to Woodbridge...
and crosses the Occoquan River on a six-lane bridge.
SR 123 continues into Fairfax County as Ox Road, which passes through the western part of Lorton
Lorton, Virginia
Lorton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population is 27,709 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:...
. The state highway passes by the former Lorton Reformatory
Lorton Reformatory
The Lorton Reformatory was a prison built for the District of Columbia, United States. It was operated by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.-History:...
and reduces to four lanes north of SR 611 (Furnace Road). SR 123 passes northwest along the edge of the suburban communities of Laurel Hill
Laurel Hill, Virginia
Laurel Hill is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 6,855. Formerly part of Lorton CDP, it comprises most of what was formerly the Lorton Reformatory grounds, which were purchased by Fairfax County in 2002 following the prison's closing and...
, Crosspointe
Crosspointe, Virginia
Crosspointe is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 5,802....
, and South Run
South Run, Virginia
South Run is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 6,389....
. The state highway serves the park surrounding Burke Lake
Burke Lake
Burke Lake is a freshwater reservoir in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is contained within Burke Lake Park, a Fairfax County public park owned by the Fairfax County Park Authority . Burke Lake is formed by a dam on South Run, a tributary stream of the Potomac River.Fairfax County...
, then veers north through a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 7100 (Fairfax County Parkway) to the west of Burke Centre
Burke Centre, Virginia
Burke Centre is a census-designated place and planned residential community in Burke, Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, Burke Centre had a total population of 17,326. Burke Centre Conservancy is a homeowners' association which all of Burke Centre belongs to.-...
. SR 123 crosses over Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
's Washington District rail line, which also carries the Manassas Line
Manassas Line
The Manassas Line is a Virginia Railway Express commuter line that extends from Washington, D.C. to Bristow, VA. Service began on the line on June 22, 1992, and is the first of VRE's two lines to open when the new commuter railroad was established. The line comprises trackage owned by both CSX...
of Virginia Railway Express, at Fairfax Station
Fairfax Station, Virginia
Fairfax Station is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, ZIP code 22039. The population as of the 2010 Census was 12,030. As a suburb of Washington, DC, it is a bedroom community for many who work in the federal government.-Averages:...
.
North of its intersection with SR 620 (Braddock Road), SR 123 passes along the west side of the campus of George Mason University, which includes the Patriot Center
Patriot Center
The Patriot Center is a 10,000-seat arena in Fairfax, Virginia. It is located on the campus of George Mason University , and has attracted 9.6 million people to over 2,958 events. In 2010, the Patriot Center was ranked No. 7 nationwide and No...
. The university's athletic complex, including George Mason Stadium
George Mason Stadium
George Mason Stadium is a 5,000-seat stadium in Fairfax, Virginia on the campus of George Mason University. It serves as the home to George Mason's soccer and lacrosse teams....
, lies to the west of the state highway south of its intersection with University Drive, which heads east onto the campus as SR 383. North of University Drive, SR 123 enters the city of Fairfax and its name changes to Chain Bridge Road. The highway becomes undivided north of Judicial Drive; the state highway passes the Barbour House
Barbour House
The Barbour House is an early 20th-century mansion in Fairfax, Virginia. It takes its name from its prominent owner, John Strode Barbour. Barbour House is located at 4069 Chain Bridge Road.- History :...
, the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse
Historic Fairfax County Courthouse
The Historic Fairfax County Courthouse is one of the oldest buildings in Fairfax, Virginia. It was constructed in 1799 to serve as the seat of government in Fairfax County. During the American Civil War, the first Confederate officer casualty of the war took place on the courthouse grounds, and the...
, and the Fairfax County offices and judicial center. North of SR 236
Virginia State Route 236
State Route 236, also known for part of its length as Little River Turnpike, is a primary state highway in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It runs from the split of U.S. Route 29 and U.S...
(Main Street), SR 123 reduces to two lanes and passes through an S-curve, then heads through a residential area before expanding to a four-lane divided highway at its intersection with US 29 and US 50 (Fairfax Boulevard).
SR 123 leaves the city of Fairfax at its partial cloverleaf interchange with I-66; the interchange includes a flyover ramp from westbound I-66 to southbound SR 123. The state highway curves northeast through Oakton
Oakton, Virginia
Oakton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. The population was 29,348 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 22124.-Geography:Oakton is located at...
, then enters the town of Vienna and becomes four-lane undivided Maple Avenue just south of its intersection with SR 243
Virginia State Route 243
State Route 243 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It serves as Nutley Street to connect Interstate 66 with State Route 123 in Vienna, also continuing south from I-66 to U.S. Route 29.-External links:*...
(Nutley Street). SR 123 intersects the Washington and Old Dominion Trail adjacent to the Vienna Town Green. The state highway becomes a divided highway named Chain Bridge Road again on leaving the town limits and entering Tysons Corner, at the southwest edge of which SR 123 has a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 7 (Leesburg Pike). SR 123 expands to six lanes and begins to parallel Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
's Silver Line
Silver Line (Washington Metro)
The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, formally dubbed the Silver Line, is an extension of the Washington Metro rapid transit system, currently under construction with the goal of providing rapid transit service to Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner...
( under construction) and intersects SR 684 (International Drive) before passing between a pair of shopping malls: Tysons Galleria
Tysons Galleria
Tysons Galleria is an upscale three-level super-regional mall owned by General Growth Properties located at 2001 International Drive, McLean, Virginia, in Tysons Corner.-History:...
to the north and Tysons Corner Center
Tysons Corner Center
Tysons Corner Center, located in the Tysons Corner unincorporated area in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States , opened to the public in 1968, becoming one of the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping centers in the Washington Metropolitan Area...
to the south.
At the eastern edge of Tysons Corner, SR 123 passes under Westpark Drive has a cloverleaf interchange
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
with I-495 (Capital Beltway). The state highway, now named Dolley Madison Boulevard, follows the Silver Line northeast through office parks to a partial cloverleaf interchange with SR 267 (Dulles Toll Road), which leads west to the Dulles Access Road (unsigned SR 90004) and Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
and east to I-66. There is no access from northbound SR 123 to westbound SR 267; that movement requires using I-495. North of the interchange, in the hamlet of Lewinsville
Lewinsville, Virginia
Lewinsville is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, USA. Traditionally, the center of Lewinsville has been located at the crossroads of Lewinsville and Chain Bridge Roads. Together with Langley, Lewinsville forms the census-designated place of McLean....
, the state highway reduces to four lanes and intersects SR 694 (Lewinsville Road), which provides access to the National Counterterrorism Center. SR 123 passes through McLean, the center of which is accessed via SR 309
Virginia State Route 309
State Route 309 is a primary state highway in Northern Virginia, United States. It runs along Old Dominion Drive, the former Washington and Old Dominion Railroad right-of-way, from State Route 123 at McLean to U.S. Route 29 in Arlington...
(Old Dominion Drive).
East of the center of McLean, SR 123 passes by the preserved Salona
Salona (McLean, Virginia)
Salona, in McLean, Virginia, is a parcel of land with frontage on Dolley Madison Boulevard, Buchanan Street and Kurtz Road. The Salona homestead and grounds comprise within the site, and is protected in perpetuity by a 1971 easement to the Fairfax Board of Supervisors...
estate and close to Hickory Hill
Hickory Hill (McLean, Virginia)
Hickory Hill is a large brick house in McLean, Virginia, in the United States, believed to have been built ca. 1840 . The land on which it is built is part of a Lee family tract of land called Langley. General George B...
—a historic house on Chain Bridge Road that was home to Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
—in Langley, where the state highway meets the eastern end of SR 193
Virginia State Route 193
Virginia State Route 193 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Georgetown Pike, the state highway runs from SR 7 in Dranesville east to SR 123 in Langley. SR 193 passes through Great Falls and meets Interstate 495 in McLean...
(Old Georgetown Pike). That state highway provides access to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm
Claude Moore Colonial Farm
The Claude Moore Colonial Farm at Turkey Run is the only privately run park in the U.S. National Park Service . The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm, a privately funded foundation, pays for all activities on the farm, while the land is owned by the NPS...
on the campus of the George Bush Center for Intelligence
George Bush Center for Intelligence
The George Bush Center for Intelligence is the headquarters compound of the Central Intelligence Agency, located in the unincorporated community of Langley in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The headquarters, officially named in the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 for...
, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency. The agency's southern main entrance is on SR 123. East of its partial cloverleaf interchange with the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the state highway's name becomes Chain Bridge Road and reduces to two lanes as it descends into the valley of the Potomac River. SR 123 passes by the Marden House
Marden House
The Marden House is a residence in McLean, Virginia designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is located just off Chain Bridge Road and overlooks the Potomac River. Also known as "Fontinalis," it is named after Luis Marden , a writer, photographer, and explorer for National Geographic...
before entering the northwestern corner of Arlington County and meeting the northern end of SR 120 (Glebe Road). There, SR 123 turns north and crosses the Potomac River into Washington on the three-lane Chain Bridge, which leads to the Clara Barton Parkway into Maryland and Canal Road, which follows the river east to Georgetown.
History
SR 123, along with SR 120, was SR 25 until the 1933 renumbering and SR 9 from then until the 1940 renumbering.Fairfax County is considering upgrading the intersection between SR 123 and SR 620 to a full interchange. The designs being considered are diamond
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
, modified diamond, single-point urban interchange (SPUI)
Single-point urban interchange
A single-point urban interchange , also called a single-point interchange or single-point diamond interchange , is a type of highway interchange...
, and tight SPUI.
VDOT has drafted plans to create an interchange between SR 123 and US 1 in Woodbridge. However, due to budget cutbacks, the project has been put on hold.
On February 22, 2010, one lane of southbound SR 123 was closed for two years. The distance impacted is two blocks, from Scotts Crossing Road to the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
(I-495) in Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
. This closure supports construction of the Silver Line
Silver Line (Washington Metro)
The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, formally dubbed the Silver Line, is an extension of the Washington Metro rapid transit system, currently under construction with the goal of providing rapid transit service to Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner...
of the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
.