After several years of debate and 18 months of negotiations, the rust-speckled railroad bridge over upper King Street has lost its status as Alexandria eyesore No. 1.
Through the efforts of Virginia Railway Express (VRE), working in conjunction with Alexandria city government, the CSX Transportation (CSXT) trestle has a new coat of paint, new lighting, plus it has been freed of underbrush. And, as Councilman David Speck pointed out at last Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony near Callahan Drive, "it only took two months longer than it did to build the original Pentagon."
"But this project was much more complicated," Speck said, tongue-in-cheek. He also noted, "We very much appreciate the partnership by VRE and CSX to accomplish this. But, it is not done yet. We need to solve the water seepage problem so the walls can be decorated," he said.
"This would be a perfect place for interesting murals. And, a good project in which to involve student artists," Speck suggested.
Mayor Kerry J. Donley agreed, noting, "This is viewed as our gateway to Old Town. The newly painted bridge is a marked improvement over how it has looked. Its accomplishment was truly a partnership between VRE, CSX and the city."
ONE OF THE possible solutions to dealing with the water seepage problem would be to build out the existing walls, according to Alexandria city manager Philip Sunderland. "This would keep the seepage behind the walls. But first we have to determine the type of new wall facing," he explained.
VRE, represented by Pete Sklannik Jr., chief operating officer, played a major role in finally breaking through the complications referred to by Speck, noted Mark Roeber, VRE's manager of public affairs. "Over a year ago the mayor came to us and ask if there was anything we could do, even though the bridge belongs to CSX," Roeber said.
"When we made inquires to CSX, they said they could not do anything, because if they repainted and fixed this bridge, they would be inundated with requests from all over. Then we went to the state, and they said no to any money," Roeber explained.
"Finally, Robert Shinn, executive assistant to the president of CSX, said they would supply some money if someone else did the work. They put up $80,000, the city paid $20,000, and VRE hired a contractor to do the work," Roeber said.
"VRE dedicated personnel, arranged for all new state-of-the-art lighting, and cleared all the underbrush. Normally, such a project would cost about $165,000. We were able to bring it in under $100,000," Roeber emphasized. "The actual work took less than a month. We started near the end of the first week in August and finished Sept. 3."
VRE WAS AS concerned about the appearance and deterioration of the bridge as was the city. "More and more we find our station, which we share with Amtrak, is becoming a hub of activity for commuters. Had something not been done, there was the possibility of serious structural deterioration, which was just inviting a disaster," Roeber insisted.
Roeber noted that Alexandria's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) aided in the traffic flow while the work was under way. This cooperation was verified by Emily Baker, T&ES city engineer. "It was an excellent joint effort by all the parties, and the end product is a real plus for the city," she said.