VDOT To Replace One-Lane Bridge On Hunter Mill Road

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed design plans Tuesday to replace a one-lane bridge over Colvin Run on Hunter Mill Road.

The board adopted the recommendation of Fairfax County staff to endorse the Virginia Department of Transportation's plans to replace the bridge on Hunter Road north of the Dulles Access Road.

The aim of the project is to "reduce congestion, improve safety, enhance traffic operations, and provide facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists," according to board documents. "The project will replace the existing, structurally deficient one-lane bridge with a two-lane bridge and that includes pedestrian safety improvements."

With the board's approval, VDOT can now move forward with its final design plans so that it can begin construction in spring 2021.

Hunter Mill Road is a planned two-lane road, according to the Fairfax County Transportation Plan, which was adopted by the board in July 2006, and amended through September 2015. However, the one-lane bridge over Colvin Run was considered structurally deficient and needed to be replaced.

"On February 29, 2020, the bridge underwent emergency reinforcement, while the Load Rating was reduced to 10 tons and the lane width was reduced to approximately 10 feet, so the bridge could remain open," board documents said.

VDOT plans to install a two-lane bridge that will match the roadway and be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. It will also incorporate pedestrian safety design features, such as a splitter island, median refuge, and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon.

The majority of the project will be paid for through VDOT's State of Good Repair funds, but VDOT is asking Fairfax County to chip in $408,000 to cover the costs of the pedestrian improvements south of the bridge. Money to pay for the improvements would come from Fairfax County's Fund 40010 - County and Regional Transportation Projects.

The board solicited input on the project at a Sept. 16 design public hearing. Thirty-nine residents/households attended and VDOT received 28 combined written and oral comments on the proposal. Twenty-two residents/households and one agency supported the project as proposed, and six residents/households approved the project with some modifications. No one opposed the project as a whole.