Park Authority planning trail improvements at Lake Accotink

Lake Accotink dam [Park Authority photo].

The Fairfax County Park Authority is planning trail improvements at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield, including an elevated walkway over the dam outfall.

A public meeting to discuss the project will be held  Jan. 27, at 7 p.m., at Braddock Hall, 9002 Burke Lake Road in Burke. 

The existing pedestrian crossing at the dam outfall on the Lake Accotink Loop Trail “is prone to sudden and frequent flooding, often stranding trail users and tempting them to wade through swiftly flowing water,” the Park Authority states. Also, “the trail approaching the crossing from the west is excessively steep.” 

The Park Authority conducted an engineering study to evaluate potential solutions to address those problems by reducing the grade of the steep slopes and providing a safe pedestrian crossing at the dam outfall while allowing most flood stage waters to safely pass without stranding trail uses.

The preferred solution consists of an elevated walkway over the outfall, along with improvements at the spillway below the walkway to help regulate future flood stage levels. The proposed route will follow the existing asphalt trail and crossing.

Design and permitting for the project is anticipated to be completed in early 2015 with construction starting shortly after that. Some of the funding will come from funds left over from the Lake Accotink dredging project.