Alexandria will host a community meeting next week on stormwater improvements for low-lying areas of Valley Drive, Crestwood Drive, Summit Avenue, and Dogwood Drive in the city’s North Ridge neighborhood.
The $3.8 million Valley Drive Storm Drain Improvement Project is funded through the city’s Stormwater Utility Fee, and the project will require installing large concrete pipes at the bottom of trenches, which will be backfilled and paved over, according to the city. The city will conduct a project design meeting on Oct. 15 (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. at Mount Vernon Recreation Center (2701 Commonwealth Avenue).
The project, started in 2022, is expected to be completed in February 2026, with construction wrapping up in September 2027, according to the city.
“The primary task is to relocate the current storm pipe to align with the existing Valley Drive right-of-way,” the city said on the project webpage. “A new storm pipe will be installed along Crestwood Drive to connect with the structure at the intersection with Valley Drive. New curb inlets and manholes will also be installed along Crestwood Drive and Summit Avenue to increase capacity. The City will also consider realigning storm drains where necessary.”
City staff said the area is prone to “frequent localized flooding” due to high-intensity rainfall from climate change-induced storms.
“Several residents have reported in-home flooding because the current curb inlets are unable to capture the excess water,” city staff said. “These frequent flooding incidents support the findings from the City of Alexandria’s Storm Sewer Capacity Analysis (CASSCA). The analysis indicates that the storm sewer networks within the project area lack adequate capacity to manage the intense storm events of recent years. This increased flooding is attributed to old infrastructure, the design criteria in place at the time of construction, and the impact from climate change.”
The meeting can also be accessed via Zoom.
