‘It’s time to address this hill!’ | Officials consider proposals to make Lee Chapel Road safer

April 12, 2023

wusa9

By Katie Lusso

LORTON, Va. — Two hills along Lee Chapel Road in Fairfax County could soon be a thing of the past as officials consider safety measures.

In January, two South County High School students, Ariana Haftsavar, 16, and Ashlyn Brotemarkle, 16, were killed and another student was seriously hurt in a crash on Lee Chapel Road. 

Using evidence from the crash, detectives discovered the Lexus was traveling 100.7 mph before the crash. Police also said the car was airborne for about 130 feet.

The crash sparked outrage from the community and family members of the victims.

“Please change this road,” begged Bahman Haftsavar in January, the father of Ariana Haftsavar.

It also lead to a petition, created by two classmates of the teens who were killed, to make changes to the road. That petition got close to 14,000 signatures.

“It has been the site of several fatalities not just the latest one. It’s time to address this hill and take it out,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity.

While police would not confirm if the teens were “hill jumping”, Supervisor Herrity told WUSA9 the hills along Lee Chapel Road are notorious for exactly that.

“The hill is an attractive nuisance. It is encouraging our younger drivers to hill jump,” said Herrity.

In February, he and other Fairfax County supervisors met with VDOT and FCDOT.

By the end of March, Herrity told WUSA9 FCDOT and VDOT came back to them with three possible options:

  1. Removal of the principal hill (this would include two 11-foot lanes and a 6-foot shoulder on each side of the roadway and assumes VDOT would allow the road’s full closure during construction which would save about $2M in costs just related to maintenance of traffic were it to remain open).
  2. Removal of both hills (this also includes two 11-foot lanes and a 6-foot shoulder on each side of the roadway and assumes VDOT would allow the road’s full closure during construction).
  3. Relocate the roadway as the first phase of the four lane widening as shown on the comprehensive plan. This would construct a new two-lane roadway to the east of the existing roadway adjacent to the hills only. The existing roadway could remain in use during most of the construction; however it has a significant impact on park property.

Supervisor Herrity told WUSA9 he discussed the different options with Delegate Kathy Tran and Senator George Barker, and together, they agreed to focus on option two, the removal of both hills.

He shared that this is not a final decision, and that they’re currently looking into funding options.

They’ve also asked FCDOT and VDOT to work together to get better estimates for what this would cost, and what the timelines would be for design and construction.

Herrity told WUSA9 that it’s important to get these safety changes made.

“Cars are faster and more powerful than they were when the road was designed. It has been the site of several fatalities, not just the latest one. It’s time to address this hill and take it out,” said Herrity.

He told WUSA9 they hope to get more information in the next 30-60 days. He also said there will be a public hearing before any final decisions are made.