Grant Avenue Corridor Improvements

The Grant Avenue Corridor Improvements project proves that even small projects can make a large and lasting impact. As part of the City of Manassas’s initiative to enhance its downtown streetscape and connectivity, the one-mile corridor was reimagined through the application of Road Diet, Complete Streets, and Context Sensitive Solutions principles. What began as a routine roadway upgrade became a community-defining transformation, turning a four-lane, vehicle-dominated arterial into a safer, greener, and more welcoming gateway to downtown.

Once a four-lane urban arterial carrying 23,000 vehicles per day, Grant Avenue faced speeding, narrow sidewalks, and safety challenges for nearby residents and schoolchildren. Surrounded by established neighborhoods, civic uses, and new residential growth, the corridor required a more balanced design. Volkert’s analysis found two lanes unnecessary for current traffic volumes, allowing the roadway to be repurposed into a safer, more community-focused corridor. The redesign introduced a landscaped center median, wider sidewalks, curb extensions, demarcated parking lanes, and a new roundabout – enhancing safety, accessibility, and visual appeal while also addressing drainage, stormwater, and underground utility improvements.

Volkert adopted a “Design Up” approach, prioritizing the needs of all users rather than simply retrofitting space for vehicles. This method aligned with Complete Streets principles by placing equal emphasis on walking, biking, transit, and driving. To support the redesign, Volkert used advanced traffic engineering tools, including Synchro, to analyze capacity, optimize turn lane configurations, signal phasing, and evaluate the feasibility of the new roundabout. The team also studied pedestrian safety enhancements, including HAWK signals and RRFBs at unsignalized and mid-block crossings, while conducting photometric analysis to improve nighttime visibility with new LED lighting throughout the corridor.

Volkert led an inclusive public engagement process with residents and property owners through public meetings, interviews, and site walks. During the planning and design phases, the team presented exhibits, gathered feedback, and documented community priorities. Volkert also worked with the City in developing suitable graphics and collaborated with a translator to meet the community’s historically underserved Spanish-speaking needs. Part of the success of the project was the collaborative engagement with the impacted community. The team worked with stakeholders in designing impacted site features in private properties, such as retaining walls, staircases and fencing as part of the reconstruction of home frontages. During construction, Volkert’s CEI team built trust and strengthened community support through clear, respectful communication and consistent updates. They addressed language and equity barriers through accessible communication, while regular coordination allowed concerns to be heard and resolved equitably.

Through innovative design and proactive coordination, Volkert helped the City of Manassas achieve significant cost savings while enhancing safety and community value. Early in design, the team introduced a roundabout to replace two signalized intersections, improving traffic flow and safety while eliminating long-term signal maintenance costs, saving the City up to $250,000 over the life of the project. Constructability reviews identified ways to streamline construction, including removing the need for a temporary signal, which saved an additional $150,000. Collaboration with a nearby housing developer further reduced costs by approximately $100,000 through shared streetscape improvements.

Volkert also managed the project’s significant technical complexities, including traffic engineering, MOT phasing, and extensive utility coordination and relocation. Overhead utilities were relocated underground, underground utilities were upgraded, and a new 24-inch waterline was incorporated into the corridor improvements. Throughout construction, Volkert’s CEI team monitored contractor compliance, maintained detailed project documentation, coordinated with stakeholders, and supported successful project delivery within the City’s evolving scope and budget needs.

The project’s true success lies in how it strengthened the community fabric. Volkert’s approach prioritized equity and inclusion during design and construction through public engagement, bilingual communications, and direct coordination with affected homeowners and businesses. The result is more than a roadway, it is a model of how thoughtful design, collaboration, and communication can deliver lasting value for a growing city.

The project has been recognized for engineering excellence at the national level, earning an Honor Award from the 2026 ACEC Virginia Engineering Excellence Awards and a National Recognition Award from the 2026 ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards.