STERLING, Va. — The new lane of Va. 28 traffic stretching from Sterling Boulevard to the Dulles Toll Road is only two miles long, but it’s indicative of the roadway improvements being made in the quickly-growing area surrounding Dulles Airport.

A fourth lane of southbound traffic is now open for drivers on Va. 28 as they approach the airport and toll road.

Va. 28, a state road, starts in Loudoun County at Va. 7, passing Fairfax County,  Manassas City, Manassas, and Prince William County, and ends in Fauquier County, at U.S. 15.

With Metro’s Silver Line coming to the airport and Ashburn, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, made up of nine Virginia jurisdictions nearest to the nation’s capital, funded the project,

“Route 28 is a significant regional corridor,” said Authority chairman Martin Nohe, in a statement.

When Dulles Airport opened in 1962, Va. 28 had only one lane in each direction.

Lanes have been added over time. In recent years, traffic lights on Va. 28 were replaced by interchanges, as development continued around the airport.

Current widening continues in Fairfax County, with future NVTA  projects in Prince William and the City of Manassas.