Virginia American Water will embark next week on a six-month, $3 million water main replacement project affecting six street segments in Alexandria.
The project will replace 5,000 feet of aging four-inch and six-inch cast iron pipes at the end of their lifespan with modern eight-inch ductile iron pipe. The water main replacement and associated street restoration is expected to wrap in September, with contractor Utilities Unlimited working 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
With less than a month until its adoption, city officials are pushing Alexandria City Public Schools leaders to make further cuts to the district’s 10-year Capital Improvements Program, stressing budget constraints.
The $340 million CIP proposal exceeds the city’s recommendation by $54.5 million and arrives during a period of expected citywide budget cuts. Officials underscored the need to limit budgets across the board during a City Council/School Board Subcommittee meeting on Monday night, which followed two ACPS work sessions to fine-tune the proposal.
Alexandria residents have until next Friday to submit feedback on the city’s developing Taylor Run Infrastructure Stabilization Project plans.
Currently at 30% design completion, the project is focused on “protecting critical, at-risk stormwater and sanitary sewer infrastructure, through a targeted, minimal intervention approach,” according to a city announcement. The full design is anticipated to be complete by September 2026, with construction commencing one month later.
Alexandria will soon embark on a two-and-a-half-year-long sewer separation project to reduce flooding in the city’s Westover neighborhood.
The city says that the sanitary sewer network in Westover, including parts of Bashford Avenue, Powhatan Street, Second Street, Colonial Avenue and Vernon Street, can’t handle intense storms. On Thursday, July 10, the city will host a design information meeting on their solution — the $2.6 million Colonial Avenue Sanitary Sewer Separation Project.
Ting Internet, once seen as a possible competitor to the stranglehold of companies like Comcast on Alexandria customers, has told ALXnow it has “temporarily paused fiber deployment” in Alexandria.
Ting Internet was one of two companies, along with Lumos, approved by the City Council to piggyback off broadband internet service cables the City was laying down for a new municipal network. The goal was to offer more competition to Comcast. While Lumos’ Alexandria plans didn’t take off, Ting started offering fiber internet in March 2023 in the Del Ray, Beverly Hills, North Ridge, and Lynhaven.
The City of Alexandria is seeking $2.5 million in state funding to help prevent flooding in the North Ridge neighborhood.
The Valley Drive Storm Drain Improvement project will improve the drainage system in North Ridge and capture floodwater before it accumulates in low-lying areas.
The much-needed replacement of Alexandria’s most-strikable bridge could come with some benefits to the cramped sidewalk beneath.
At a City Council meeting last week, City Council member Sarah Bagley said the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is moving forward with the replacement of a pair of bridges that passes over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
With rain expected this week in Alexandria, it might be worth a look back at how Alexandria’s battles with flooding have progressed over the years and what’s ahead.
The region was hit with intense flooding in 2019, which thrust Alexandria’s stormwater infrastructure into the limelight. Since then, the city has invested considerable time and money into upgrading that infrastructure, though there have been some frustrations at slow progress.
Alexandria has been awarded $525,000 to support planning for the city’s ongoing flood mitigation efforts.
The grant funding comes from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). The funds will go to support the development of a “new comprehensive Flood Resilience Plan.”
April 1 marks the launch of pothole patrol season in Alexandria.
In a release, the City of Alexandria said work is starting today on fixing potholes around the city.
Property owners in Alexandria may notice that the Stormwater Utility Fee is likely going up again in the 2024 budget.
The City Manager’s proposed budget increases the utility rate from $308.7 to $324.10. Mayor Justin Wilson said in a newsletter that the new annual fee structure is broken down for local residential property owners as:
