U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos
Stricter procedures for validating IDs at entry control points to Navy installations are being followed by NSASP police officers.
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Navy and VDOT review traffic issues at Dahlgren
Naval Support Activity South Potomac (NSASP) officials met with representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the King George County Sherriff's Department on Jan. 30 to discuss potential solutions to address traffic congestion on roadways around Naval Support Facility (NSF) Dahlgren.
That congestion has increased recently as NSASP started applying enhanced security postures mandated by the Department of Defense, which has led to delays as long as one hour to get through Main Gate on Dahlgren Rd.
At B Gate off Rt. 301, the effect on traffic of the new security procedures at NSF Dahlgren's gates has left commuters and base officials concerned that the situation may be creating less safe driving conditions. There, slow traffic has piled up in the right-hand lane of northbound Rt. 301, while traffic in the left lane flashes by at 55 mph.
While base officials think wait times will decrease as Dahlgren's work force gets used to the new security procedures, they are working with VDOT to address safety concerns and advocate for roadway improvements in the vicinity of the base as soon as possible.
"We need to help the workforce be prepared to deal with security measures," said Capt. Pete Nette, NSASP commanding officer, told the VDOT representatives. "We're looking for guidance and input."
The VDOT representatives and base officials discussed a variety of potential actions that could help maintain traffic safety, such as installing traffic congestion warning signs along Rt. 301. The state will also revisit whether 55 mph is a safe speed limit along the stretch of Rt. 301 by B Gate, given Dahlgren's traffic and increased commercial development.
Potential medium and long-term actions are subject to limited budgets, though NSASP and VDOT may choose to pool resources to extend the turn lane at B Gate and install lighted warning signs along Rt. 301, for example.
Base officials reiterated that several seemingly obvious solutions, such as opening C Gate or adding lanes at B Gate, may actually add to congestion.
In the case of the former, opening C Gate would lead to unsafe driving conditions by pushing traffic onto Rt. 301 just as it merges into one lane to cross the Harry Nice Memorial Bridge into southern Maryland. Additionally, that gate could not accommodate southbound commuters because of the median.
In the case of the latter, any advantage gained by adding in-bound lanes at B Gate would be lost as those lanes merge onto Dahlgren's two-lane roads.
As NSASP prepares to participate in the Navy's annual Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2012 exercise this March, base safety managers gave VDOT their gate traffic data in an effort to clearly communicate the exercise's impact on area thoroughfares. Last year, it took commuters nearly three hours to move between the intersection of Rt. 206 and Rt. 301, and B gate.
While improved communication and preparation between NSASP and Dahlgren's supported commands should result in fewer employees coming to work during this year's exercise, gate delays are still expected to be substantial.