Virginia State Route 659 (Loudoun and Prince William Counties)
| |
|---|---|
| Belmont Ridge Road, Gum Springs Road | |
| Route information | |
| Length: | 16.00 mi (25.75 km) |
| Major junctions | |
| North end: | Riverside Parkway in Leesburg |
 SR 267 in Ashburn US 50 in South Riding | |
| South end: |
 SR 234 near Bull Run |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Loudoun, Prince William |
| Highway system | |
State Route 659, otherwise known as Belmont Ridge Road north of Arcola, and Gum Spring Road to the south, is a Virginia Department of Transportation maintained and administered road in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area. The road is heavily used by commuters in the suburbs and bedroom communities of Loudoun County, Virginia.
Geography and Layout
This approximately 16-mile (26 km) long north–south running road is mostly a 2 lane (a few parts are 4 lanes), but heavily traveled, connection between State Route 7 and Prince William County. The road’s actual northern terminus is the Nation Conference Center just off the shores of the Potomac River, but for all practical uses of the road the northern terminus is Route 7. The Southern terminus is State Route 234 just past the Loudoun-Prince William County border. There are two Luck Stone quarries along Route 659, one outside the community of Belmont Green just southeast of Leesburg, and another just inside the Loudoun side of the county border near Route 234. The expansion of the southern quarry led to the relocation of a portion of the route in May 2012.
History
The origin of the road's path is unclear (possibly the road had been a colonial byway, but no specific evidence is available to back up this assumption), but the road has been used by Loudoun County residents for years. The road had in previous years held a speed limit of 55 mph (89 km/h), but had been decreased to 45 mph (72 km/h) north of Arcola sometime in the last 20 years, and has always been 35 mph (56 km/h) through the town of Arcola. the speed limit remains 55 mph (89 km/h) south of Arcola on Gum Spring Road all the way to Route 234.
Future Improvements
The road has been scheduled for improvements under the Loudoun County Countywide Transportation Plan.[1] Between Route 7 in Loudoun and Brambleton, the road will have an ultimate condition of four lanes, other parts in Loudoun may have an ultimate condition of six lanes. As of early 2012, parts of the road through Brambleton and a stretch south of U.S. Route 50 to Braddock Road have been widened to four lanes.