West End Alexandria - Did You Know? South Pickett Street Road Changes | Project Update - April 2025

Did you know that the City of Alexandria is making significant changes to South Pickett Street in West End Alexandria. The changes are along the stretch between Duke Street & Edsall Road. Read on for more information.

Pro Tip = If you are going to Home Depot, be sure to slow down as the speed limit is reduced to 25 mph.

At its November 16, 2024 Public Hearing, the Alexandria City Council voted to uphold the Traffic & Parking Board's recommendation for South Pickett Street.

The approved changes are listed below. The speed limit reduction to 25 mph started in April 2025. The construction phase is currently scheduled for later in 2025 into 2026.

• Reduce one general purpose lane in each direction to slow vehicle speeds and create space for other important roadway features

• Add new median space to be used as a left-turn lane or a pedestrian refuge at various points along the corridor to simplify left turns, calm traffic, improve pedestrian safety, and provide opportunities for green space

• Preserve travel lanes at the approaches to Duke Street and Edsall Road to minimize vehicle delay

• Convert the through-left lane to a left-only lane on the eastbound approach of South Pickett Street and Edsall Road

• Add new crosswalks at key locations to improve access for people walking and wheeling

• Install protected bicycle lanes to provide a dedicated space for people biking and scooting and to calm traffic

• Install bus boarding islands to improve bus boarding and alighting and mitigate conflicts between people biking and people riding the bus

• Install painted curb extensions at key locations to reduce pedestrian crossing distance, improve sightlines, and reduce turning speeds.

• Reduce up to 10 on-street parking spaces at select locations to allow appropriate sight distance for a new crosswalk, provide a continuous bike lane through the intersection of South Pickett Street and Edsall Road, and better align the travel lanes

• Implement No Turn on Red restrictions at all signalized intersections to reduce conflicts between users and allow for Leading Pedestrian Intervals to be installed to enhance pedestrian safety

• Reduce the speed limit from 35 MPH to 25 MPH to improve safety for all roadway users