Construction Update: Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail Project

Construction continues apace on the 10-foot-wide shared use path and pedestrian bridge spanning Dogue Creek along the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway between Richmond Highway and Southwood Drive.

Land-based construction activities began on the 218-foot-long pedestrian bridge in May, and in-stream activities have commenced now that the county has emerged from its restricted period, said Sonia Shahnaj, project manager with Fairfax County Department of Transportation’s (FCDOT) Transportation Design Division.

The contractor, Anchor Construction Corporation, may still need to close single lanes of traffic along Mount Vernon Memorial Highway for limited periods of time, said Shahnaj, though they will make every effort to keep the lanes open for uninterrupted traffic flow.

Despite some construction material delivery delays, FCDOT anticipates wrapping up construction in spring 2023, at which time the trail will be usable by bicyclists and pedestrians.

In addition to this project, Fairfax Country’s Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division is repairing existing trail segments from Southwood Drive to Cherrytree Drive, and from Old Mill Road to the beginning of the bus stop loop just east of Old Mount Vernon Road. Portions of those trail segments have already been repaired, and the rest will be addressed soon, said Shahnaj.

The Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail Project is designed to provide trail users with continuous access from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to Richmond Highway. The project kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony six months ago.