VA Route 234:

Sudley Road

Prince William Parkway

Dumfires Road

Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Highway

About VA Route 234Web Links | Sources

 

About VA Route 234:

VA Route 234 runs north-south in western Prince William County.  The route begins approximately four miles north of I-66 along US Route 15 in northern Prince William County and ends in southern Prince William County at US Route 1 in Dumfries.  Along its route it passes through Catharpin, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas City, Independent Hill and Dumfries.

Most of what is now Route 234 south of Manassas was added to the state highway system as VA Route 709 by 1929.  By 1932, the route going north to US 15 was added to VA Route 709.  Route 709 became VA Route 234 in 1933.  Over the next 10 years, a number of routing changes occured.  By 1943, Route 234 was following the route that it travels today.  In later years, Route 234 became an important route between Manassas, I-66, Dumfires, I-95 and the US Route 1 cooridor.  This was especially true with the completeion of I-95 and I-66.  This added traffic along with the beginnings of new developments in the western part of Prince William County, concerns were raised about congestion and safety along Route 234.  Beginning in the 1970's, Prince William County officials began pushing for the widening and modernization of Route 234.  Years of funding shortcuts and conflicting priorities between jurisdictions led to the Route 234 project being delayed multiple times.

Finally in the mid-1990's the first of a series of projects began to widen VA Route 234 to four lanes between I-66 in Manassas and US Route 1 in Dumfries.  The following table details the various projects in order from north to south:

Project Start Date Completion Date Cost
Route 234 Manassas Bypass: I-66 to VA Route 28 Late 1995 August 1997 $153 million total for all three projects
Route 234 Manassas Bypass: VA 28 to Brentsville Road October 1999 October 2001
Brentsville Road to Coles Road including bridge over Occoquan River in Lake Jackson Spring 2001 September 2002
Coles Road to Purcell Road (Phase I) Spring 2001 September 2002 $16.2 million
Purcell Road to Snowfall Drive (Phase II) August 2003
Snowfall Drive to Eclipse Drive (Phase III) June 2006 $16.6 million
Eclipse Drive to Country Club Drive (Phase IV) Summer 2007 $20.7 million
Country Club Drive to I-95 Fall 1996
VA 234/I-95 Interchange Improvements June 2000 April 2002 $7.6 million
I-95 to US Route 1 May 2002

Do you know the details for the gray shaded boxes in the table above?  If so, please send us Feedback and we'll add your information.  Thanks!

Upon completion of the Route 234 Bypass between Brentsville Road and I-66, Route 234 through Manassas City was designated as VA Route 234 Business.  Route 234 multiplexes with I-66 between Exits 44 and 47.  North of I-66 Route 234 returns to its original routing.  The Tri-County Parkway project will extend the Route 234 Bypass north from its current terminus at I-66.  The Parkway will run north and intersect the original Route 234 routing in the area of Pageland Lane.  It will then continue north into Loudoun County.  When the Tri-County Parkway is complete, it is expected that Route 234 will continue north on the Tri-County Parkway and then exit the Parkway where it intersects with the original Route 234.  The bypassed portion of the current Route 234 north of I-66 is expected to be called Route 234 Business.

In early 2005, Route 234 was named Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Highway.  The resolution in the Virginia House of Delegates was championed by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William).  The Prince William County Board of Superviors supported the measure.  Delegate Lingamfelter said that Former President Reagan was fond of horses and Civil War Battlefields, and took an occasional ride through Manassass National Battlefield Park, making the naming of Route 234 after him even more appropriate.

Another name change took place along VA Route 234 with the completeion of the Liberia Avenue extension from Wellington Road/Prince William Parkway to Brentsville Road.  The Liberia Avenue extension was renamed Prince William Parkway.  Route 234 from Brentsville Road north to I-66 was named Prince William Parkway as well to allow the Parkway to have continuous route naming across Prince William County.

With the completeion of the final widening project between Eclipse and Country Club Drives, VA Route 234 is now four lanes between I-95 and I-66 with a Manassas City bypass.  This provides a high capacity, high speed route through western Prince William County.  This also provides an additional route between I-95 and I-66, the two major Northern Virginia interstate highways.

VDOT is proposing two projects to address future needs in the Route 234 Cooridor:
There are currently no active plans to begin construction on either of the above projects.

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Please send any updates, comments and corrections to Michael Hale.

 

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Last Update: 2/9/08