This is part of a series of stories updating the status of various development projects in and around Alexandria.
AlexRenew
RIVERRENEW
Ironically, the biggest and most expensive project in Alexandria has been among the least visible to residents — but after years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars spent, it's nearing completion.
Wastewater authority AlexRenew is continuing work on RiverRenew, the project that will capture combined sewage to prevent it from entering our waterways untreated during big rainstorms.
AlexRenew’s General Manager and CEO Justin Carl has accurately called it “the largest infrastructure project in the City’s history.”
While the project won't help with flooding itself (that's a separate issue), it is expected to make the Potomac River cleaner — and less smelly.
The current status:
- Hazel, the German tunnel-boring machine, ended her 2-mile journey 100 feet below the surface this spring.
- Work is continuing at the Pendleton Street Site near Oronoco Bay Park, as crews connect new RiverRenew infrastructure to an existing outfall sewer. At that site in the coming months, residents will see a new diversion facility under construction that will ensure sewer water is treated before going into the river.
- At the end of Royal Street, crews are connecting that site's diversion facility to the Waterfront Tunnel.
- Work is continuing along Hooffs Run, as well.
Alexandria is one of the hundreds of cities nationwide with a combined sewer system, and the RiverRenew project is designed to significantly reduce the pollution such a system can cause. The Environmental Protection Agency explains it this way:
"Combined sewer systems are sewers that are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged to a water body. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt, however, the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. For this reason, combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies."
The entire project should be complete sometime in 2026.
A community listening session regarding the Pendleton Street site is set for Sept. 16 from 5:30-7 p.m. at 501 N. Union Street (meet at the northeast corner of Oronoco and N. Union streets). A listening session regarding Royal Street projects is planned for Sept. 18 from 5:30-7 p.m. at 100 Jones Point Drive.
RiverRenew Community Listening Session: Pendleton Street
DUKE STREET IN MOTION
Those who travel along Duke Street may have already noticed some changes in traffic flow thanks to the installation of adaptive traffic signals that respond to congestion.
Coming soon: City Council will consider a proposal this fall to turn a portion of the service road (that runs parallel to Duke Street east of West Taylor Run Parkway) into a one-way street westbound with safe space for bikes, scooters and pedestrians. This would separate the right turn from Duke Street westbound onto West Taylor Run from straight westbound traffic on Duke Street.
City staff had initially recommended keeping the service road a two-way street, shown in the diagram below, but some city officials say turning it into a one-way street is more in line with overall Duke Street vision.
In addition, the city is considering closing, eventually, the current ramp from Duke Street eastbound to Telegraph Road in favor of a new ramp further down Duke Street that has drivers make a left turn, also shown below.
Construction on this portion would not start for a few years.
City of Alexandria staff report.
In other areas of Duke Street, construction could include the addition of Bus Rapid Transit dedicated lanes along some parts of the corridor and other changes meant to make the 4.2- mile stretch safer for drivers, bus riders, bikers and pedestrians.
Be on the lookout for announcements about community engagement and city council meetings this fall. Learn more at alexandriava.gov/dukeinmotion.
EMBARK RICHMOND HIGHWAY
Embark Richmond Highway continues to go through various planning phases in Fairfax County.
The Richmond Highway project, from the Huntington Metro station to Fort Belvoir, will eventually include dedicated bus lanes for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and much-improved, safer pedestrian facilities from sidewalks to bus shelters to road crossings. Fairfax County has been using eminent domain to make room for the project, which has forced some businesses to close or move. This is a multi-year project that could take another decade to complete.
This summer, the federal government accepted the Richmond Highway BRT project into a grant program that will allow the Fairfax County Dept. of Transportation to continue working on the design process, engineering plans and more. The BRT project aligns with Embark Richmond Highway, the larger project to make Richmond Highway friendlier.
"Next steps for this mega project involve detailed engineering and design, securing additional funding and preparing for construction. The BRT is expected to be operational by late 2031, significantly improving public transit along this critical corridor. The project is estimated to cost approximately $937 million," according to a recent project update.
In other major transportation news, the Virginia Dept. of Transportation is considering extending the I-495 Express Lanes around the southern side of the Beltway through Alexandria, and possibly across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Maryland. Note: Every fall, Alexandria Living Magazines take a look at about 40 development projects in the works in the Alexandria region, including Southeast Fairfax County. Bookmark this page to keep up, or be sure you're signed up for our email newsletters to catch up a few times per week.
