Community Corner

Construction On New Bridge Set to Begin: See Timeline, Traffic Detours

The City will be getting a new bridge, including new sidewalks, trails and intersection improvements around it. See details.

Get ready for detours starting next week along Chain Bridge Road in Old Town Fairfax.

Construction on a new bridge over the creek is set to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and is expected to last about six months, during which time detours and lane shifts will be in effect.

City to Get A New Bridge, Sidewalk, Trails and Intersection

The construction project, to be headed up by Flippo Construction, involves building a new bridge on Chain Bridge Road at Kenmore Drive, near downtown.

According to the City's project overview, the goals of the project are to replace the aging bridge over Accotink Creek, install new sidewalks and multipurpose trails, and and install a new crosswalk over Chain Bridge Road.

All of this should make the area more pedestrian-friendly, the City indicated, as well as more attractive, as the bridge will be constructed in a style that "matches the architectural style of historic downtown." 

For pedestrians, the project will help increase safety by adding more shoulders, and improving the overall intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Kenmore Drive. The project should also improve both pedestrian and bicycle access to the overall area, as well as the bus stop. See a photo of the existing bridge and an artist's rendering of what the new bridge will look like in the photos above.

Construction Timeline/Traffic Detours

Construction begins this month and is expected to last about six months, through the end of June, according to the City's website.

During that time, traffic along Chain Bridge Road will be impacted and detours will be in effect.

For the length of the construction, northbound Chain Bridge Road traffic will be detoured along Whitehead Street, to University Drive, and then Kenmore Drive, and then back around to Chain Bridge Road. 

Southbound Chain Bridge Road traffic will not be detoured, but will see lane shifts through the work zone. City officials encourage drivers to use University Drive, as it is an alternate north-south route through the downtown Fairfax area, which will avoid the work zone.

Phase One: Jan. 14 - April 15, 2014

The first phase of the project will involve installation of the erosion and sediment controls, construction entrances, and setting up the work areas with materials and equipment. The project schedule can be affected by inclement weather.

During this phase, the entrance to Rustfields will remain open and will be restricted to right in and right out traffic only.

Phase Two: April 15 - June 30

The entrance to Rustfields will be closed and all traffic to and from Rustfields will have to use the entrance to Railroad Avenue. During this phase, the Fire Department is requiring that the gates to the Railroad Avenue entrance to Rustfields remain open at all times.

Sidewalks through the work zone will be closed while bridge construction is taking place. Pedestrians can detour around the work zone using sidewalks on Kenmore Drive, University Drive and Whitehead Street. A map of the detour route is included in the photos section of this article.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See more details of the project on the City's website.


Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

TELL US - What do you think of the plans for the new bridge? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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