Resurfacing work on a section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria is beginning today (Thursday), the National Park Service says.
The latest repaving follows the first phase between Spout Run Parkway and Interstate 395 in Arlington. Crews will resurface the road and replace pedestrian crossing medians between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and First Street.
Alexandria City Council directed staff on Tuesday to pursue a new preferred option to combat flooding along the Alexandria waterfront — one that does not involve a pump station.
City staff presented the council with a number of options in the wake of the National Park Service’s denial last month of the city’s plan to build a pump station at Waterfront Park. The city’s preferred option, Option 3, is an enhanced gravity storm sewer system, with “automated back flow prevention devices.” Option 3 also means that infrastructure improvements to Point Lumley Park and the bulkhead would be deferred.
A section of the Mount Vernon Trail just north of Old Town will be closed for five to six weeks, starting this Friday.
During that time, contractors with the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration project will conduct shoreline embankment repair work. The project will shut down the trail between north of E. Abingdon Drive and 3rd Street, and trail users will be redirected to an alternate trail on E. Abingdon Drive.
Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, a volunteer group dedicated to trail maintenance and education efforts, was recognized with an award last month for its trail renovation work.
The organization was honored with the “Trail of the Year” award from the Public Lands Alliance at the nonprofit’s conference in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 23. The group received the award for its partnership with the National Park Service to renovate the George Washington Memorial Parkway’s trail surface and rest areas from 2024 to 2025.
The National Park Service has denied approval to build a pump station at Waterfront Park, the City of Alexandria has confirmed today (Wednesday).
The Alexandria Times was the first outlet to confirm the news. NPS sent the city a letter on Feb. 20 “indicating a reversal of their previous position on the City’s Deed Modification request for the Waterfront Flood Mitigation Pump Station,” according to the city website.
The National Park Service is seeking input on a proposal to redesign intersections, add new trail connections and expand waterfront access in Old Town North, among other changes.
The agency is planning a slate of future upgrades along the GW Parkway, Mount Vernon Trail and Potomac waterfront, aiming to make the areas “safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for everyone,” according to a press release. Plans include trail bridge replacement, new bike lanes and crosswalks and “improved views” of the waterfront.
Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail is a volunteer group that’s worked tirelessly to maintain and improve one of the region’s most beautiful trails and the National Park Service (NPS) recently recognized the group for those efforts.
The group took home the National Park Service Impact Award: Team Category in the NPS’ Excellence in Volunteerism Awards.
A grant from the National Park Service (NPS) will help close the funding gap needed to restore Alexandria’s new Freedom House Museum.
Once a major hub for the slave trade, 1315 Duke Street reopened in May as a museum dedicated to telling the stories of those trafficked through the building. While the exhibits are open to the public, there is still significant work needed to be done to preserve the building.
The National Park Service (NPS) is soliciting public feedback for ideas to overhaul part of Daingerfield Island near Potomac Yard.
The idea is to revitalize the area around the Washington Sailing Marina at the former Indigo Landing Restaurant (1 Marina Drive).
As a symbol, the Jones Point Lighthouse represents Alexandria’s legacy as a port city. But as a building, it’s in rough shape.
The wooden lighthouse is described by the National Park Service website as “one of the last riverine lighthouses in the country,” as well as a “focal point of Jones Point Park and a clue to the area’s history as a busy commercial center and naval base.” But the building itself is in rough shape. Grime coats the outside of the structure and there’s visible damage to parts of the building. The interior is unfinished, so visitors aren’t allowed inside due to safety concerns.
Some changes are coming to the George Washington Memorial Parkway to make it safer for travelers between Alexandria and the eponymous President’s home at Mount Vernon.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), part of the change will be a road diet — a term that could trigger flashbacks for veterans of the 2019 Seminary Road Comment Wars.
