On Nov. 20, McLean-based Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance petitioned the Commonwealth Transportation Board to designate U.S. 15 as an "All American Road", while observing that the best way to preserve the corridor's rich history is to preserve right-of-way for an alternative to the east.

Critics have claimed that constructing such an alternative would promote population growth in outer jurisdictions. However, the Alliance pointed out that in the past seven years, 75 percent of the 275,000 new Northern Virginia residents have located in Loudoun and Prince William counties without a western corridor or any U.S. 15 alternative.

Furthermore, in the next 20 to 25 years, most of Northern Virginia's projected 1 million new residents will live well beyond the Capital Beltway.

The Alliance expressed concern that the Loudoun County supervisors have rejected the results of their own study, showing re-location of even a portion of U.S. 15 north of Leesburg would greatly reduce congestion and enhance safety in that corridor.

"Designating it as an All American Road cannot disguise the reality that, absent leadership by the Commonwealth to protect an alternative route, U.S. 15 will become a major thoroughfare and render great harm to the heritage the Journey Through Hollowed Ground group is trying to protect."

The Alliance urged the CTB to become more pro-active in protecting U.S. 15 and other corridor alternatives in the Commonwealth required to meet future demand.