AGENDA DATE: 4/15/2026
TITLE:
Free Bridge Lane Discontinuance Resolution
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Resolution to request the discontinuance of Free Bridge Lane
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Wall, Svoboda, Tevendale, Barnes, McDermott, Swartzendruber, Karina-Plun
PRESENTER (S): Alberic Karina-Plun
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: Free Bridge Lane is a low-volume, unstriped roadway that extends approximately one-half mile from Darden Towe Park to US 250. The 2019 Pantops Master Plan envisioned transitioning Free Bridge Lane from its current condition to a "Green Street" with enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and elements of stormwater management. Free Bridge Lane was prioritized in the Pantops Master Plan as a "catalyst" project.
In 2023, a feasibility study was conducted to assess creating a multiuse pedestrian trail along the western edge of Free Bridge Lane. Staff worked with consultants, other County departments, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), local stakeholder groups, and community members to develop a concept for closing Free Bridge Lane to vehicular traffic and turning it into a pedestrian promenade. A pilot project to determine the desirability of closing Free Bridge Lane to vehicular traffic was instituted on November 1, 2024, and ended in October 2025. VDOT conducted traffic volume counts of Free Bridge Lane in August 2024, prior to commencing the pilot project. The study counted pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. A second traffic volume count was conducted in spring 2025, and the study found an increase in bicycle and pedestrian trips.
On August 6, 2025, the Board authorized the County Executive to petition VDOT to begin the discontinuance process for Free Bridge Lane. Staff worked with VDOT to determine the extent of the discontinuance. VDOT gave notice to abutting landowners and provided a public comment period for the discontinuance of F...
Click here for full text