Politics & Government

Four Mile Run Bridge Demolition to Begin Soon

Demolition of old railroad bridge between Arlington and Alexandria between Route 1 and Potomac Avenue is the first step to creating a sweeping open space.

By Jason Spencer (Arlington Patch Editor)

After a few pithy swings from Arlington and Alexandria elected officials and staff, U.S. Rep. Jim Moran pounded the old concrete wall — one of the few reminders that the brush and weeds between the Eclipse condominiums and the Potomac Yard Shopping Center used to be an active railroad bridge over Four Mile Run.

"I used to do this, actually," Moran said with a grin, picking up the piece of concrete that chipped off. In college, Moran took summer construction jobs to stay in shape.

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That chip is but a bit of sweeping change coming to the areas around Four Mile Run between Route 1 and Potomac Avenue—and that is part of a larger plan to restore the stream from Interstate 395 to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

"One of the few advantages of getting old… is that you actually get to see things happen," Moran said Monday morning during his remarks. Years of studies, planning and community involvement went into the Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan, which the governing bodies of Arlington and Alexandria ultimately approved in 2006.

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An estimated 33,000 people live between I-395 and the Potomac River, many of them renters, Moran said.

"This is their opportunity for a moment of zen, to walk along the Four Mile Run, to experience nature," he said.

The Pulte Group—developers of much of the south end of Potomac Yard—is in charge of the $3.5 million bridge demolition project, which will include shoring up the banks of the freshly exposed portion of Four Mile Run. Full demolition should begin within a few weeks and be complete by April, said Stephen Collins with the developer.

Once the first bridge is down, plans call for a second abandoned rail bridge over Four Mile Run that's closer to Potomac Avenue to be transformed into a pedestrian deck. All of this is to complement efforts to restore the waterway that separates Arlington and Alexandria.

Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille called the beginning of the bridge demolition a "major milestone" in the plan's implementation and said further development would be done "bit by bit" as funding became available. The project was formulated when the federal government still allowed earmarks and before the current financial crisis. Because so, Euille said the restoration may take "slightly longer" than the anticipated 2016 completion date.

Eventually, plans call for Dominion Power to move or bury a power substation near the Potomac Yard Center and three other electric towers. That will entail temporarily relocating Metro buses and might not begin for several more years, said Jason Papacosma with Arlington's Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management.

The project was one of the open space components negotiated as part of the ongoing development further south.

Arlington County Board Vice Chairman Jay Fisette talked briefly about smart growth, which ties dense development to major traffic corridors, and said that wasn't possible without concessions for open spaces.

"This stream will become a connector, not a divider," Fisette said. "We'll bring part of nature back to life."

Editor's note: This article has been changed since it was originally published to reflect that the second rail bridge will not be removed.  


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