News Release

Learn about the National Park Service’s work to improve safety on the George Washington Memorial Parkway

Date: June 28, 2019
Contact: Aaron LaRocca, [phone]

McLean, Va.— The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are studying the safety at intersections on the southern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) and are inviting the public to participate in the process. 

The study will focus on intersections between the City of Alexandria and George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Traffic can create challenges for park users and pedestrians who need to cross the parkway to access neighborhoods, recreational facilities, bus stops and the Mount Vernon Trail. During the upcoming public engagement process, the NPS and FHWA will share recently compiled safety data from the southern part of the parkway and ask people to share their concerns or ideas about how to improve safety while protecting the parkway’s beauty and historic character.

The intent of the study is to develop recommendations to improve safety that can be implemented using existing funds while preserving the parkway’s historic appearance. You can learn more about the study and see a map at go.nps.gov/GWMPSafety.

The NPS invites people to get involved by attending an open house or submitting written comments online or by mail.

 

Open House

• When: Thursday, July, 11 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m.
• Location:

Walt Whitman Middle School  
2500 Parkers Lane 
Alexandria, VA 22306

Online through the park Planning, Environment & Public Comment webpage.

 

By mail for letters postmarked by August 21, 2019:

George Washington Memorial Parkway

Attn: Alexandria to Mount Vernon Safety Study 

700 George Washington Memorial Parkway

c/o Turkey Run Park

McLean, Virginia 22101

The southern section of the GWMP opened as the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in 1932. The road’s completion was planned to coincide with the nationwide celebration of the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth in that year.

The parkway’s designers pioneered principles of modern roadway construction by building an attractive and efficient limited access road. Besides serving as a link in the national capital region’s transportation network, the parkway preserves natural scenery, links sites associated with George Washington's life, and provides recreational opportunities along the Potomac River shoreline. Today, this section of the GWMP serves over 17,000 vehicles daily and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.