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Virginia State Route 659 (Loudoun County)
Encyclopedia
Virginia Secondary Route 659, otherwise known as Belmont Ridge Road north of Arcola
, and Gum Spring Road to the south, is a Virginia Department of Transportation
maintained and administered road in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area
. The road is heavily used by commuters in the suburbs and bedroom communities of Loudoun County, Virginia
.
, but for all practical uses of the road the northern terminus is Route 7. The Southern terminus is State Route 234 just past the Loudoun-Prince William County border. There are two Luck Stone quarries along Route 659, one outside the community of Belmont Green just southeast of Leesburg
, and another just inside the Loudoun side of the county border near Route 234.
, and a 300 yards (274.3 m) stretch just north of the GreenWay
. Between Route 7 in Loudoun and Brambleton the road will have an ultimate condition of 4 lanes, other parts in Loudoun may have an ultimate condition of 6 lanes. In Prince William County, the road is planned with an ultimate condition of [to be filled] lanes. Many local residents and officials doubt that 6 lanes are ever needed. It would be like a major highway right in peoples back yards and it wouldn't help building a desirable and family friendly community. The most likely future improvements will be to repave the entire road as a 4 lane road with more traffic lights installed sometime in the next 4–8 years, however there are different plans for Loudoun and Prince William Counties.
Arcola, Virginia
Arcola is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia, USA. The population as of the 2010 Census was 233.Leesburg is situated northwest of Arcola; the national capital, Washington, D.C., lies to the east.-History:...
, and Gum Spring Road to the south, is a Virginia Department of Transportation
Virginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
maintained and administered road in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. The road is heavily used by commuters in the suburbs and bedroom communities of Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
.
Geography and Layout
This approximately 16 miles (25.7 km) long north–south running road is mostly a 2 lane (a few parts are 4 lanes), but heavily traveled, connection between State Route 7 and Prince William County. The road’s actual northern terminus is the Nation Conference Center just off the shores of the Potomac RiverPotomac 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...
, but for all practical uses of the road the northern terminus is Route 7. The Southern terminus is State Route 234 just past the Loudoun-Prince William County border. There are two Luck Stone quarries along Route 659, one outside the community of Belmont Green just southeast of Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, and another just inside the Loudoun side of the county border near Route 234.
History
The origin of the road's path is unclear (possibly the road had been a colonial byway, but no specific evidence is available to back up this assumption), but the road has been used by Loudoun County residents for years. The road had in previous years held a speed limit of 55 mi/h, but had been decreased to 45 mi/h north of Arcola sometime in the last 20 years, and has always been 35 mi/h through the town of Arcola. the speed limit remains 55 mi/h south of Arcola on Gum Spring Road all the way to Route 234.Future Improvements
The road has been scheduled for improvements for some time now but has only been widened thus far to 4 lanes on a 1 miles (1.6 km) stretch near BrambletonBrambleton, Virginia
Brambleton is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia, off the Dulles Toll Road. The population as of the 2010 Census was 9,845.It is named for a plantation once located in the vicinity. Construction started on the Brambleton community in 2001...
, and a 300 yards (274.3 m) stretch just north of the GreenWay
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,...
. Between Route 7 in Loudoun and Brambleton the road will have an ultimate condition of 4 lanes, other parts in Loudoun may have an ultimate condition of 6 lanes. In Prince William County, the road is planned with an ultimate condition of [to be filled] lanes. Many local residents and officials doubt that 6 lanes are ever needed. It would be like a major highway right in peoples back yards and it wouldn't help building a desirable and family friendly community. The most likely future improvements will be to repave the entire road as a 4 lane road with more traffic lights installed sometime in the next 4–8 years, however there are different plans for Loudoun and Prince William Counties.