Controversial Proposed Highway in Virginia Would Slice Through Civil War Battlefield
As the nation observes the 150th anniversary of the Second Battle of Manassas, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is seeking an agreement with the National Park Service (NPS) that would force through a new highway on 20 to 35 acres of historic battlefield land within and adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park. The proposed “Tri-County Parkway,” with its 200-foot-wide right-of-way, up to six traffic lanes, and increased traffic and noise, would damage Manassas Battlefield's historic character, trigger new development and traffic, and would set a bad precedent for building new highways through national battlefields and national parks across the nation. Worse, the new highway is not necessary to meet the National Park Service's goal to reduce commuter traffic through the Manassas National Battlefield Park.