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TextAn Update on Braddock District Sidewalks, Trails and Parks
An Update on Braddock District Sidewalks and Trails
Sidewalks and trails are critical to the lifestyle that exists within
the Braddock District. Recommendations from residents, staff and VDOT are
factored into decisions to add or improve trails, as funding becomes
available. Over the past year a number of projects have been completed
that will improve connections and safety of street crossings. Additional
projects are at various stages of planning or construction.
Roberts Road: New sidewalks and trails were part of the recent
road widening project along Roberts Rd. Mason, VDOT and Fairfax County
worked collaboratively to build this trail; allowing convenient
pedestrian and bicycle access from Braddock Rd. to Mason’s east
entrances, and a continuous off-road pedestrian and bicycle route between
Braddock Road and Main Street.
Braddock Road at Wakefield Chapel Road: Crossing either Wakefield
Chapel Road or Braddock Road has long been difficult for pedestrians due
to the location of a crosswalk through traffic on Wakefield Chapel Rd.
and the lack of timed crossing on Braddock Rd. This situation has now
been corrected to provide improved pedestrian safety.
HOT Lane Construction: Bridge Construction at both Little River
Turnpike and Braddock Road is progressing, and both bridges are targeted
for completion by Spring, 2011. The new spans will include separate bike
and pedestrian lanes, and the County has applied for grant funding to
connect these lanes to existing sidewalks on both roads.
Zion Road Improvements: Final plans have been submitted to VDOT
to reconstruct the curve in Zion Rd east of Windsor Hill Dr. The project
includes pedestrian improvements along the length of the project which is
scheduled for construction next summer.
Guinea Road at Falmead Road: Sidewalk and trail connections at
this intersection are now complete; providing improved pedestrian access
to Guinea Rd. from the communities that feed into Falmead Rd. The segment
also allows improved pedestrian access to both the local Target and the
Burke VRE by completing the trail connection along Guinea between Falmead
and Zion Road.
Burke Centre Pkwy at Terra Centre Elementary School: In
coordination with Terra Centre Elementary School and the Burke Centre
community, plans have been developed for construction of a sidewalk
between Pond Spice Lane and Terra Centre. This project will provide
pedestrian access along the North side of Burke Centre Pkwy to the
school, and avoid the current hazardous pedestrian crossing of Burke
Centre Pkwy. Construction will be completed by June, 2012.
Burke Commons Road Trail Extension: Preliminary planning for
improved pedestrian access along Burke Commons Road to Burke Center
Parkway, improving access to the Burke VRE, a community pool and local
businesses is underway. Additional meetings are planned with the
community on the alignment.
Pohick Stream Valley Trail: The Fairfax County Park Authority is
nearing completion of plans for construction of trail and bridge
crossings needed to complete a segment of the Pohick Stream Valley Trail
between Burke Village Center II and the Burke VRE. This connection will
allow improved bicycle and pedestrian access to the VRE, and access to
the Burke Village Center shops. Construction is expected in 2012.
The Board of Supervisors has also authorized the Park Authority to apply
for VDOT grant funding to construct another segment of this trail between
Burke Lake Road at the end of Coffer Woods and the sharp curve in Burke
Road immediately South of Burke Nursery, which, if approved, would take
several years to complete.
Please contact the office or Braddock District Trails and Sidewalk
Committee representative, Tom Kennedy (tfkinva@aol.com) with any
additional recommendations.
Tom Kennedy provided this update to the Braddock Beacon
Master Plan Process Starts for Monticello Park
The Fairfax County Park Authority has begun developing a park master
plan for Monticello Park. The decisions made as a result of this public
process will shape the future development of the park. A public
information meeting was scheduled for Thursday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m.
at Bonnie Brae Elementary School, but due to inclement weather was
cancelled and will be rescheduled.
The meeting will feature a presentation describing the site’s existing
conditions, potential future uses and the park master planning process.
The plan serves as a long-range vision (10-20 year timeframe); is
conceptual in nature and not intended to address detailed issues related
to site design or park operations. One potential future use, already
proposed, is a dog park.
A public discussion will follow the staff presentation in an effort to
identify community concerns, answer questions and receive suggestions for
future park uses. This dialogue will serve as the basis for the draft
master plan.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/monticello.htm. If you are
unable to attend, comments can be sent to Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or
Braddock@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Bid to Dredge Lake Barton Received
The County recently received three bids for the Lake Barton dredging
project. The apparent low bidder is Lake Services, Inc.
(http://www.lakeservices.com/). Construction Management Division (CMD) is
finalizing the review of the bids and contractor. The Board of
Supervisors will vote on this contract at its January 11, 2011
meeting.
The apparent low bid for the complete project (up to 35,000 cubic yards)
was slightly higher than the original budget of $1.5 million. Despite
this, based on recent awards and proposed project schedules for this
fiscal year, the County believes that it will be able to fund the full
dredging project. The goal will be to maximize the amount of dredging to
take advantage of the cost savings per cubic yard. This will result in a
fully restored sediment pool capacity and extended life of Lake
Barton.
Lake Services is proposing to mechanically dredge the wet soil. As a
result, the lake water levels will not need to be drawn down to complete
this project. A temporary drawdown may be needed for shoreline
stabilization and replacement of the boat launch ramp. Lake Services is
proposing to haul the dredge material to the private Lorton Construction
Landfill where it will be used as a landscaping soil media to aide in
capping and closing that landfill. This is a beneficial re-use of dredge
material which would otherwise need to be buried.
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Artistic Rain
Barrel Program
Are you a conservation-minded artist or do you know one? The Northern Virginia Rain Barrel Program is looking for volunteers to turn rain barrels into works of art this spring! The barrels will be displayed along with artist information at prominent local businesses and community centers. Create a design and send it in with a basic application by mid-January. For more details or to apply, please see: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/rainbarrelart.htm
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