In the Aftermath of Lee, Costly Repairs

Fairfax County played host to a very rowdy guest last week in the form of Tropical Storm Lee. 

Virginia Department of Transportation crews continue to assess road and bridge damage in northern Virginia.

“Our initial assessment indicates that there could be up to $10 million in damages to bridges and roads in Fairfax County,” said Garrett Moore, VDOT District Administrator for northern Virginia. “We will make repairs as quickly as possible. We could even see more pavement and slope failures in the coming days, in addition to potholes.”

By the end of the week, VDOT engineers will complete assessments on more than 200 bridges.

The damage to Hillside Road in Springfield was especially grievous. According to flyers circulated to area homes by the office of , the washout extended 35 feet beneath the roadway.  Utilities including fiber, water and gas were damaged, as well as a pedestrian bridge which was undermined by the flooding.

Repairing the affected section will involve the removal and replacement of nearly 90 feet of roadway; additionally, the corrugated pipe which ran beneath the roadway will be replaced with a stronger concrete construction.  Affected residents who wish to receive updates via email can contact Peyton Onks at 703-451-8873 or send requests to springfield@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Herrity points to the West Springfield Little League field on Byron Avenue as a clear example of what the community and county agencies can do when working together.  The field, which was also heavily inundated, is being cleaned up by local residents who are also righting equipment while the Fairfax County Parks Authority will arrange for contractors to repair backstops and larger structures.

According to Herrity and Joan Morris of VDOT, money required to affect repairs to the bridges and affected roads will be drawn from VDOT’s emergency funds.  Once estimates are complete, it will be determined if the area qualifies for FEMA relief funding.  

Though there may yet be some demands made on local coffers besides the Authority’s repairs to the Byron Avenue field, Herrity says that the county board will discuss all possible uses for the recently-determined budget surplus when it convenes today.

Three bridges in Fairfax County were destroyed and will be replaced with temporary structures:

• Lorton Road over Giles Run will be temporarily replaced within two months. The posted detour route will be a little more than eight miles long. This road carries about 6,000 vehicles a day.

• Beach Mill Road over Nichols Branch will be temporarily replaced within six weeks. Beach Mill Road carries about 1,700 vehicles a day. The posted detour will be approximately six miles long.

• Towlston Road will be temporarily replaced within six weeks. This road carries about 350 vehicles a day, and the posted detour will be approximately two and a half miles long.

Plans were already underway to permanently replace each bridge that was damaged by the flooding. Construction for the permanent bridges on Beach Mill Road and Towlston Road is scheduled to begin in 2012, and a Fairfax County project for relocating Lorton Road, which includes a new bridge over Giles Run, is scheduled to begin in 2013.

In addition to the three locations above, the following roads are also reported as closed as of 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11 (all are in Fairfax County):

• Sunrise Valley Drive eastbound between Glade Drive and Mercator Drive

• Hillside Road (both directions) between Moverly Court and Cameo Square

• Essex Avenue (both directions) at Middlesex Avenue

• Miller Road (both directions) at Westhurst Lane

• Hunter Mill Road (both directions) between Crowell Road and Chamberlain Drive

• Walker Road (both directions) between Colvin Run Road and Walker Mill Road