The Connection

Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews have been making repairs to roads that were damaged during the July 8 flash floods and continue to make progress towards extensive repairs that remain on Kirby Road and Swinks Mill Road. Those repairs will require construction contractors and will keep both roads closed for a few more months.

By the end of the day Thursday, July 25, the flood repair strike team will have repaired twelve roads since the floods. The team focused on milling, paving, and shoulder repair on Barbee Street, Benjamin Street, Beulah Road, Churchill Road, Georgetown Pike, Ironwood Drive, Morningside Drive, Leigh Mill Road, Lorraine Avenue, Prosperity Avenue, Thrasher Place, and Valley Wood Road. All twelve roads were repaired in five days. Bridge maintenance crews are continuing to remove debris from around and under bridges and inside of culverts.

Several areas of Kirby Road sustained damage during the storm:

• A segment of road just south of Claiborne Drive was washed away. The remaining asphalt in that location has been undermined.
• Asphalt on the approaches to the deck of the VDOT bridge over Pimmit Run was damaged, but temporarily repaired the same day. The bridge also has damage to the guardrails and abutments (the “legs” that support the bridge deck) and retaining wall.
• Pimmit Run will need to be realigned to its original location.
• The sanitary sewer line and underground utilities were affected.
• Damage to VDOT infrastructure is not preventing access to any homes.

Note: A privately owned and maintained bridge across from Claiborne Drive was severely damaged and homeowners are evaluating repair options.

Swinks Mill Road bridge over Scotts Run damage:

• Several hundred feet of asphalt approaching the bridge on both sides was damaged.
• Asphalt on the bridge deck was destroyed. Also, the bridge has sustained damage to the guardrails, abutments, and retaining wall.
• Bridge scour (removal of sand and gravel from around the abutments) was observed.
• Debris was observed in Scotts Run.

Damage to VDOT infrastructure is not preventing access to any homes.

Structural assessments of VDOT bridges and roads have been completed.

• Survey work (to gather information needed to create a detailed map of current conditions) is underway and expected to be completed over the coming weeks.
• Soil borings (samples taken to determine underground conditions) should be completed around the same time as survey work.
• Preliminary designs of both bridges and road repairs have begun.
• Coordination has begun with external agencies to determine location of and efficiently schedule repairs to damaged utilities.
• Concrete jersey barriers were installed on Swinks Mill Road to prevent drivers from continuing to move temporary barriers and drive across the bridge.

Debris removal will continue in accordance with environmental regulations.

Completed survey work and soil boring results will be used to finish developing the engineering design of road and bridge repairs.

Essential bridge and road repair plans will be put out for construction bids.

For ongoing updates, follow VDOT Northern Virginia on Twitter: @vadotnova