A possible solution to deadly intersection in Va.

FALLS CHURCH, Va -- It is known as the most deadly intersection in all of Fairfax County: Route 50 in the Seven Corners area. Seven pedestrians have been struck and killed while trying to cross the road since 2001.

Shops and businesses, including a Home Depot and a bus transfer station, line both sides of Route 50. But proper crossing areas (Patrick Henry Drive and Cherry Street) sit more than a mile apart, which entices people to make the dangerous dash across the roadway.

Transportation leaders think they have come up with the solution: A long, overhead pedestrian bridge designed to carry people out of harms way.

"You've got this heavy, 1,000-pedestrian-a-day back and forth movement, so this is clearly a case where the enormous investment that it takes to build something like this will pay off," says Fairfax County Pedestrian Program Manager Chris Wells. "This location is the only place I know of right now where a pedestrian bridge will really work and is really worth the investment."

The bridge, which officially opened Wednesday, cost $5.2 million to construct. It stretches 141 feet long over top of Route 50, and has three-story stairwells at either end.

One of the biggest pedestrian challenges for planners in the Seven Corners area, the ethnic diversity that is present.

"One of the things that we've learned over the years is that when folks are new to America, they may not be familiar with the speed that a vehicle travels, in the dark, with headlights and things like that," says Wells. "But folks who have been crossing already will now have a safe way to cross."

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