Construction to start soon on Long Branch trail upgrade
The Fairfax County Park Authority plans to begin construction on the Phase 2 improvements to the Long Branch Stream Valley Trail in late June or early July.
The project focuses on improving the trail segment between Woodland Way and Wakefield Chapel Road in Annandale.
The gravel trail will be paved with approximately 5,500 linear feet of asphalt and concrete surfaces. Multiple stormwater culverts will be replaced or repaired “to support long-term durability and environmental management.”
Related story: Long Branch trail paving project delayed to provide time for public input
Phase 1, completed in 2021, upgraded the trail from Olley Lane in Fairfax to Woodland Way.
Tibbs Paving, the contractor for the upcoming project, will mobilize on site in early summer. Active construction is expected to continue through July, with completion anticipated by the end of summer 2025, weather permitting.
The Park Authority anticipates “limited tree clearing.” Tibbs is responsible for replacing trees damaged during construction.
Residents and park users may experience occasional construction traffic entering and exiting the area via Woodland Way and Wakefield Chapel Road.
According to the Park Authority, construction activity will comply with the Fairfax County Noise Ordinance, which permits work from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, with potential work on weekends and holidays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., as needed.
The existing trails and park will remain open outside the construction hours. The trail will be closed during delivery and installation.
Funding for Phase 2 comes from a park bond passed by voters in 2020.
I am a senior resident of the neighborhood where the Long Branch trail is located and I use the trail almost daily. It is a great source of pleasure to me to be able to walk in the woods and enjoy the greenery, the creek, the birds and animals as I walk the path. However, I may lose the chance to walk there if the path is paved since I can only walk on natural surfaces. Due to tendonitis and other foot issues, I cannot walk on hard paved surfaces. The crushed gravel and even the dirt trails are where I must walk. I was hoping this last section of the Long Branch trail would remain a natural surface and I don’t think I am the only person who feels this way. Please reconsider this project and find a way to offer a natural surface for the segment between Woodland Way and Wakefield Chapel Road. If it must be paved, please let me know where there is another trail nearby with a natural surface.
I find it disturbing that the county will turn a pervious surface into an impervious one in the middle of a natural setting. Seriously, not very environmentally friendly especially if you lose trees.
I registered my opposition to paving this trail way back before any of it began. It was clear though that the decision had been made and there was no serious interest in public comment. The County just seems to be infatuated with asphalt paving.
As a cyclist I like to see a certain amount of pavement, like the W&OD Trail, the Ox Road and Braddock Road side paths, the Cross County Trail. But as a former runner who ran along the Long Branch Trail to Wakefield and Lake Accotink, paving it seems really sad.
I walk this trail almost every day and agree with the above comments. Particularly, the clearing of trees is awful and destroys much of the natural beauty of the trail and the joy I derive from walking amongst the trees. It has been wonderful walking in the early hours and seeing foxes and deer, and now they are threatening it all for no good reason.
It’s frustrating how any attempt to improve or modernize Annandale is immediately met with resistance. Too many seem content with stagnation, opposing even the most thoughtful projects aimed at enhancing our quality of life. This mindset holds our community back. Annandale deserves the opportunity to grow, evolve, and thrive—not stay stuck in the past.