Fort Belvoir, Va. (Aug 29, 2014) - The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the connector road, Jeff Todd Way, was Monday at the intersection of Jeff Todd Way and Pole Road. The road, which connects Route 1 and Telegraph Road, officially opened Aug. 19, although construction will not be completed until November.
The road was named after Jeff Todd, a businessman with three Roy Rogers restaurants in the Mount Vernon and Lee areas, who died in 2011. His wife, Becky Todd, and several family members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"Having this done was wonderful," said Becky Todd. "He would be very happy and very proud but humbled. He would not want this named after him. But he would be glad the road is open and everyone can get through from one place to the other."
Jeff Todd Way replaces Woodlawn Road and Beulah Street, which connected Route 1 and Telegraph Road, according to the Federal Highway Administration, and was closed to public access through Fort Belvoir after Sept. 11, 2001 for security reasons.
The road from Richmond Highway to Pole Road is Jeff Todd Way and Mulligan Road from Pole Road to Telegraph Road, according to VDOT. Jeff Todd Way is a four-lane divided roadway with turn lanes, wide curb lanes for bicycles, raised, curbed medians, landscaping and five-foot sidewalks.
Gerald Hyland, a member of the Mount Vernon District, Fairfax County board of supervisors, said Jeff Todd was collaborative, deliberate and self-effacing and would always find ways to get others to work together for the common good.
"Jeff Todd's way is exactly how this happened today because Jeff Todd found ways for people to work together. We found a way for all of the parties who had interest in making this happen," Hyland said. "Every single one of those individuals worked together to make this happen."
Col. Michelle Mitchell, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir commander, said this was a significant event for the local communities.
"We recognize that Fort Belvoir is part of a greater community here and the road has been missing a transportation link. Each of us here has had a special role in getting to today's ceremony," Mitchell said, thanking all of those involved in the completion of Jeff Todd Way.
Jeff McKay, a member of the Lee District, Fairfax County board of supervisors said the timing for this project couldn't be more important, especially with the construction widening Route 1.
Jeff Todd Way will improve the quality of life, traffic congestion and mobility for those living in the area, as well as provide alternative ways to commute besides driving.
"Jeff Todd was everything that was right … about serving our community," McKay said. "You never had to ask him twice for something and the answer was always yes."
In addition to the completion of Jeff Todd Way, the project included the widening of portions of Route 1 and Telegraph Road, as well as the construction of northbound Mulligan Road Bridge over John J. Kingman Road and the Telegraph Road Bridge over Piney Creek, according to VDOT's website.
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