Virginia State Route 28

Virginia State Route 28. It is a primary north–south state highway in Northern Virginia, connecting the outer suburbs of Washington, D.C. with major employment and transportation hubs. The route runs approximately 41 miles from Haymarket in Prince William County north to Sterling in Loudoun County, traversing the heart of the region's technology corridor. It serves critical facilities including Washington Dulles International Airport, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, and numerous corporate campuses, functioning as a vital commercial and commuter artery.

Route description

Beginning at an intersection with U.S. Route 15 in the historic town of Haymarket, the route heads northeast as a two-lane road through the rural western reaches of Prince William County. It passes near the Manassas National Battlefield Park before entering more developed areas near Manassas, where it intersects the Virginia State Route 234 bypass. North of Manassas, it becomes a multi-lane divided highway, crossing into Fairfax County and serving the massive Centreville area at its junction with U.S. Route 29 and Interstate 66. The corridor expands significantly as it approaches Washington Dulles International Airport, where it forms the eastern boundary of the airport grounds and provides direct access to its terminals. North of the airport, it passes the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center annex of the National Air and Space Museum and enters Loudoun County. Through Loudoun, it functions as the main street for the commercial centers of Sterling and Ashburn, featuring numerous interchanges with other major routes like the Dulles Toll Road and Virginia State Route 7, before terminating at the latter in Sterling.

History

The original alignment of what would become State Route 28 was established in the early 20th century as a minor local road connecting rural communities in Prince William and Loudoun counties. Its significance transformed with the planning and construction of Washington Dulles International Airport in the late 1950s and early 1960s, which was championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and designed by architect Eero Saarinen. The state began improving the road to provide access to the new airport, which opened in 1962. Subsequent decades of explosive growth in the Washington metropolitan area, particularly in the technology sector along the Dulles Technology Corridor, necessitated continuous widening and upgrades. Major projects in the 1980s and 1990s converted much of the route to a limited-access arterial. The construction of the Dulles Greenway and improvements to the Dulles Toll Road further integrated it into the regional transportation network. Its role was cemented by the opening of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in 2003, making it a key route for both commerce and tourism.

Major intersections

Proceeding from south to north, State Route 28 intersects numerous key highways. In Prince William County, it meets U.S. Route 15 at its southern terminus and later intersects Virginia State Route 234 near Manassas. In Fairfax County, critical junctions include U.S. Route 29 and Interstate 66 at Centreville, and the Dulles Access Road serving Washington Dulles International Airport. Within Loudoun County, it has a major interchange with the Dulles Toll Road (State Route 267), which provides a direct connection to the Capital Beltway and Tysons. It also crosses the Dulles Greenway (State Route 267) and intersects Virginia State Route 625 in Ashburn. Its northern terminus is a major intersection with Virginia State Route 7 in the Sterling area.

Auxiliary routes

The State Route 28 corridor is supplemented by several business route designations that serve the main streets of towns bypassed by the primary highway's upgrades. Virginia State Route 28 Business runs through downtown Manassas, connecting the primary route with historic sites like the Manassas Museum and the Manassas Railroad Depot. Another business route, Virginia State Route 28 Business, serves the commercial district of Sterling along Church Road and Hollywood Road. These auxiliary routes manage local traffic and provide access to businesses adjacent to the high-speed mainline.

Category:State highways in Virginia