WASHINGTON — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the completion of a road improvement project near Huntley Meadows Park in southern Fairfax County.

Fairfax County District Supervisor Jeff McKay spoke in between rain showers along newly paved South Kings Highway.

“We can achieve significant traffic improvements with smaller spot intersection improvements … that are not intensely destructive to some of existing older neighborhoods,” McKay said.

The county-funded project was completed ahead of schedule. Telegraph Road was widened at South Kings Highway and more turning lanes were added at various points near South Van Dorn Street. The signals were re-timed and new sidewalks were installed. The access road to the Huntley Meadows Park was also relocated farther north, away from the busy intersection. The county hopes these improvements will ease recurring congestion.

“Without road improvements like this you can imagine how much worse traffic would be.”

A new three-arched bridge was constructed for Dogue Creek underneath Telegraph Road. It replaces a substandard culvert.

“We really don’t need more Springfield Interchange and Woodrow Wilson Bridge projects. What we really need are more neighborhood-based improvements like this that get people moving better but that are not intensely intrusive on the environment and our older communities. This project has so much to offer from an environmental standpoint, from a pedestrian standpoint, from safety standpoint.”