Virginia State Route 620 (Fairfax and Loudoun Counties)
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State Route 620, also known as Braddock Road, is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. In the City of Alexandria, Braddock Road runs northwestward from West Street near the Braddock Road Metro station to the Alexandria campus of the Northern Virginia Community College, just beyond Beauregard Street. About 2 miles west, unconnected, another Braddock Road begins in Fairfax County at Columbia Pike near Lake Barcroft, runs southward past Little River Turnpike, then continues westward towards Loudoun County. The road has historical significance in the American Civil War, and portions of the road were established prior to British colonization of northern Virginia.
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[edit] Geography and layout
Although the original Braddock Road was unified throughout its length, many portions of the original road were transected, relocated or disjointed since the original path was defined (especially since the modern paved road system was constructed). Because of this, several cut-off portions of previous paths exist, which often generates confusion among motorists (for example, in Centreville, where there is a "New Braddock Road" which is unconnected to the "Braddock Road" which leads into the historical section of the town).
As the road leads into Loudoun County, the paved portion of Braddock Road ends but the road continues as a gravel road into rural areas of Loudoun.
Among the cities, towns and other landmarks traversed by Braddock Road are:
- the City of Alexandria
- (the Braddock Road Metro Station is located in this city)
- the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology lies near the intersection with Little River Turnpike
- Annandale
- an intersection with the Capital Beltway
- Burke
- George Mason University
- Centreville
[edit] History
Braddock Road was originally composed of paths established by the Native American inhabitants of Northern Virginia. Later, British colonialists and Virginian governments developed and improved the paths into what became known as "Braddock's Road."
[edit] Colonial and revolutionary era
Price's Common, a market that operated during the colonial administration and was the site of the drafting of the Virginian Bill of Rights signed by George Mason (and after which the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution was modeled), was located by the intersection of Braddock Road and Backlick Road (at the same intersection today lies a strip mall named Bradlick Shopping Center).
Braddock Rd is so named as it was believed to be the route of the English General Edward Braddock's force during the French and Indian War. At the outset of the Braddock Expedition, the force was split into two groups. Braddock lead the first group across the Potomac near Rock Creek and up to Frederick and Sir Peter Halkett lead a second group through Northern Virginia. Halkett's group marched past the Old Fairfax County courthouse (today Tyson's Corner) and up to Coleman's Ordinary (today Northern Herndon, Virginia). It is unlikely that today's Braddock Road was the actual route taken by Halkett's group. Rather, they roughly followed the route of present-day Leesburg Pike (Route 7).
[edit] Civil war
During the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate troops traversed Braddock Road during various battles in Fairfax County and other parts of Northern Virginia.
