Powhite Parkway Extension Commercial Land: What the New Road Means for Western Chesterfield

For Powhite Parkway extension commercial land, the short answer is that the road will make western Chesterfield much easier to reach, but it will open in pieces between 2029 and 2034, and only some of those pieces are funded today. Land near the Woolridge Road end and the Hull Street end has the clearest timeline. Land near the middle access points at Genito and Duval roads carries more schedule risk.

The extension has been on Chesterfield’s thoroughfare plan since the late 1980s, per Richmond BizSense. Now that construction is scheduled to begin, owners and buyers along the corridor are starting to price it in. This post covers what is actually funded and when, where the access points are, and how to think about speculation risk. For the wider county picture, including zoning and due diligence, start with our Chesterfield commercial land guide.

Where will the Powhite Parkway extension run, and where are the access points?

Per Richmond BizSense (September 9, 2026), the extension will run about nine miles from the parkway’s current end near Route 288 to Hull Street Road (Route 360) near Grange Hall Elementary School and the Richmond Metro Zoo. Access is planned at Woolridge Road, Genito Road, Duval Road, Magnolia Green Parkway, and Hull Street, with no access from Westerleigh Parkway. The road will not be tolled, and a shared-use path is planned along its full length.

On January 6, 2026, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the location of the section from Woolridge Road to Hull Street as Alternative 1A. Chesterfield’s Board of Supervisors had endorsed that alternative on November 19, 2025. The CTB resolution describes a four-lane road from Woolridge to Hull Street, plus rebuilding a planned two-lane access road to four lanes from Hull Street to the Westerleigh Parkway extension. It also says the design will avoid the historic Otterdale School on Genito Road.

What is the schedule, and how is the Powhite extension funded?

The county is building the extension in segments. The dates below are targets reported in September 2026, not guarantees.

Two details matter for land pricing. First, the section beyond Woolridge is planned as two lanes at first, graded for a later widening. Richmond BizSense reported that making the extension four lanes all the way through is currently estimated at more than $800 million. Second, the federal environmental review still has to finish. VDOT’s Powhite Parkway Project EIS page lists the FHWA decision for summer 2027, and the CTB decision brief says full construction depends on securing more funding.

Chesterfield’s own Powhite Parkway Extension page describes Phase 1 as a set of county-funded projects around the Woolridge end: bridges over Tomahawk Creek, widening Woolridge Road to four lanes, a Watermill Parkway bridge to Old Hundred Road, and work at Brandermill Parkway and Charter Colony. Those projects shift traffic patterns near Route 288 before the new road opens.

How does Upper Magnolia Green fit in?

Upper Magnolia Green is the main reason the southern segment is moving now. Chesterfield Economic Development markets it as 1,354 acres of publicly owned land with a 445-plus-acre pad for advanced manufacturing, R&D, and office users, backed by $48.5 million in state support. Richmond BizSense reported in January 2023 that the county’s first $25 million state site-readiness grant would help pay for Powhite extension design through the property.

Its use mix matters for nearby land. In May 2025, the Board of Supervisors rezoned nearly 980 acres at the site’s northern end. About 870 acres (Tract A) are restricted to data centers and related uses. About 100 acres (Tract B) allow offices, labs, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and R&D. The board also set aside a conservation area called Swift Creek Preserve on the eastern side, which removed residential zoning from 740 acres. Data center campuses take up a lot of land but employ relatively few people for their size. Do not assume the site will generate the same demand for restaurants and services as an office park of the same acreage.

What commercial uses are likely near the new interchanges?

Retail follows rooftops and traffic counts, and western Chesterfield has been adding homes for years. The road should increase daily trips at the access points, so these uses are the likeliest early movers:

• Fuel and convenience at the Woolridge and Hull Street ends, where the traffic already exists and the timeline is clearest.
• Neighborhood retail, quick-service restaurants, daycare, and medical office near Genito and Duval roads, once homes and traffic grow enough to support them.
• Service and flex users near Upper Magnolia Green, serving contractors and suppliers during construction and operations.
• Larger employment uses on the tech park itself, which the EDA controls.

Zoning still decides the outcome. A parcel that is not already zoned for commercial use needs a rezoning before it can become a commercial node, and the county’s comprehensive plan update will shape what it supports. See how ZOMod changed Chesterfield’s districts before assuming a parcel’s path to commercial use.

How should buyers and sellers price Powhite Parkway extension commercial land?

A road that is funded, designed, and under contract is very different from a line on a planning map. Rate each tract against the questions below:

1. 1Which segment serves it? Land near Woolridge has a funded 2029 target. Land near Genito or Duval depends on the unfunded middle and the 2034 target.
2. 2Where exactly is the access? An access point’s final design determines which corners get full-movement entrances. Get the latest VDOT and county plans, not a marketing map.
3. 3Is sewer and water nearby? A tract with no utilities stays raw land after the road opens. Confirm availability with Chesterfield Utilities.
4. 4What does it cost to hold? Model property taxes, interest, and opportunity cost through at least the target completion date plus a delay cushion.
5. 5Could the plan change? Per CTB policy, if the project does not advance within three years after the environmental review is complete, VDOT returns to the board to reaffirm, modify, or rescind the location approval.

For sellers, the strongest position is to show buyers what they would otherwise spend months verifying: current zoning, utility availability, and where the tract sits relative to the approved alignment. Rezoning costs also matter. Residential or mixed-use projects may trigger Chesterfield’s road cash proffer, covered in our post on cash proffers and commercial rezoning. More on corridor-by-corridor due diligence is in our Chesterfield commercial land guide.

Talk through a tract near the Powhite extension

If you own or are considering land along the Powhite corridor, I can help you sort out which segment and access point it depends on, what the zoning and utilities look like, and how to structure terms around the road’s timeline. See how I work on the services page, or get in touch to talk it through.