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For long-suffering travelers jostling for parking spots at the Staples Mill Amtrak station, relief is on the horizon.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is doubling the size of the lot, from roughly 300 spaces to about 600, and adding a second entrance to the station, which is the busiest in Virginia and in the South, officials said.

The $8.3 million expansion, which involves acquiring adjacent property, demolishing buildings and installing a traffic signal at the new Compton Road entrance to improve traffic flow, is expected to go out to bid next spring, with a year-long construction period to follow.

The work also will include new lighting and landscaping.

“I think it’s going to provide a tremendous benefit to passengers. It’s badly, badly needed,” said Jennifer Mitchell, director of the department.

The lot routinely is at maximum capacity. That forces passengers in some cases to park illegally — not an ideal situation for encouraging more rail travel and commuting, Mitchell noted.

“Having good parking there is a huge part of it,” she said.