Report to the Strategic Development Committee Request of Virginia Department of Transportation for Easements across Washington Dulles International Airport Property at Route 28 May 2016
PURPOSE Staff requests that the Strategic Development Committee approve and recommend that the Board of Directors authorize the President and Chief Executive Officer to execute permanent easements across Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Airports Authority) property at Washington Dulles International Airport (Dulles International) in favor of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in connection with the Route 28 widening project.
BACKGROUND VDOT is undertaking a project (Project) in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties to improve traffic flow and alleviate traffic delays between Route 50 and Old Ox Road, along the Route 28 corridor, by widening Route 28 from three lanes to four lanes in each direction at certain hotspots. Approximately five miles of the Project is located adjacent to, or within Dulles International. Portions of Route 28 are constructed on Airport property under a 1977 easement granted by the Federal Aviation Administration. VDOT now requires additional easements for the use of property at four locations, in order to complete the Project.
BACKGROUND (Continued) Specifically, southbound Route 28 will be increased from three lanes to four lanes from just north of the Sterling Boulevard interchange to just north of the Route 50 interchange and northbound Route 28 will be increased from three lanes to four lanes from the McLearen Road interchange to the Dulles International Airport Access Highway. VDOT is requesting a permanent transportation easement across 3.193 acres. VDOT also requests temporary easements across 4.781 acres for construction purposes. These easements will expire upon completion of the Project.
DISCUSSION Airports Authority staff evaluated the request and submitted comments and changes to VDOT. VDOT made design changes to the proposed improvements in order to satisfy Airports Authority concerns and reduced the amount of Airports Authority property affected by the Project. After construction, the Project will improve traffic flow to key exits on Route 28, which represent some of the heaviest existing traffic load in the corridor.
DISCUSSION (Continued) The Project will benefit the Airports Authority and the users of the Airport by reducing congestion along Route 28, to and from Dulles International. Consistent with longstanding practice, VDOT will not be assessed a charge for these easements.
RECOMMENDATION Staff requests that the Strategic Development Committee approve and recommend that the Board of Directors authorize the President and Chief Executive Officer to execute permanent easements across Airports Authority property at Dulles International in favor of VDOT in connection with the Route 28 widening project.
REPORT TO THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE REQUEST OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR EASEMENTS ACROSS WASHINGTON DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PROPERTY AT ROUTE 28 ACTION REQUESTED MAY 2016 That the Strategic Development Committee approve and recommend to the Board of Directors that it authorize the President and Chief Executive Officer to execute permanent easements across Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Airports Authority) property at Washington Dulles International Airport (Dulles International) in favor of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in connection with its Route 28 widening project. BACKGROUND VDOT is undertaking a project (Project) to improve traffic flow and alleviate traffic delays between Route 50 and Old Ox Road, along the Route 28 corridor, by widening Route 28 from three lanes to four lanes in each direction at certain identified points, referred to as hotspots. The Project is located in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, starting 0.375 miles north of the intersection of Route 50 and Route 28, and ending 0.480 miles north of the intersection of Sterling Boulevard and Route 28. Specifically, southbound Route 28 will be increased from three lanes to four lanes from just north of the Sterling Boulevard interchange to just north of the Route 50 interchange. Northbound Route 28 will be improved from three lanes to four lanes from the McLearen Road interchange to the Dulles International Airport Access Highway. These improvements will increase the capacity of Route 28. Approximately five miles of the Project is located adjacent to, or within, Dulles International. Portions of Route 28, as currently constructed, are on Airports Authority property, and are subject to easements conveyed to VDOT by the Federal Aviation Administration in 1977. In order to complete the Project, VDOT requires additional property at four locations on Airports Authority property along Route 28 consisting of a permanent transportation easement across an additional 3.193 acres (139,087 square feet) and a temporary easement consisting of 4.781 acres (208,260 square feet) to facilitate construction of the Project. The temporary easement will expire upon completion of the Project. The requested easement areas are shown on Exhibit A.
DISCUSSION Staff worked with VDOT to evaluate this request for the permanent and temporary easements and submitted comments and changes to VDOT. VDOT adequately addressed the Airports Authority s issues by making various design changes and also reduced the size of the easements it originally requested. The final design for those portions of the Project located on Dulles International property ensures that the Airports Authority s interests are protected and minimizes the amount of Airports Authority property required for the Project. After construction, the Project is projected to improve traffic flow to key exits on Route 28, which represent some of the heaviest existing traffic load in the corridor. The Project is expected to reduce congestion and stop-and-go traffic that is often present between Route 50 and Sterling Boulevard. The Project will benefit the Airports Authority and users of Dulles International by reducing congestion along Route 28. VDOT will not be assessed a charge for the easements under the Airports Authority s practice of providing easements on its land to governmental entities at no cost. CONCLUSION Staff requests that the Strategic Development Committee approve and recommend to the Board that it authorize the President and Chief Executive Officer to execute permanent easements across Airports Authority property located at Dulles International (as shown on Exhibit A), in favor of VDOT in connection with its Route 28 widening project. Prepared by: Attachment Office of General Counsel May 2016
Proposed Resolution Authorizing the Conveyance of Easements to the Virginia Department of Transportation Across Washington Dulles International Airport Property at Route 28 WHEREAS, The Virginia Department of Transportation is undertaking a project in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties to improve Route 28 by widening it from three lanes to four lanes in each direction at certain locations; WHEREAS, Approximately five miles of this project is located adjacent to, or within property at Dulles International; WHEREAS, Portions of Route 28 are constructed on Airport property under a 1977 easement granted by the Federal Aviation Administration; WHEREAS, In order to complete this project, the Virginia Department of Transportation has requested permanent transportation easements at four locations on Airport property, totaling 3.193 acres; WHEREAS, the Route 28 widening project will benefit the Airports Authority and the users of Dulles International; and WHEREAS, The Strategic Development Committee has reviewed the proposed easements, as presented by staff at its May 2016 meeting, and recommended that the easements should be granted at no cost; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the President and Chief Executive Officer is authorized and directed to execute the easement to the Virginia Department of Transportation as identified in detail in the documents presented to the Board of Directors at its May 2016 meeting. For Consideration by the Strategic Development Committee and Board of Directors on May 18, 2016