Water mains to be replaced on Annandale Road

An eroded water pipe. [Fairfax Water]

Traffic on Annandale Road will be disrupted later this fall as Fairfax Water replaces aging water mains under two sections of the road. 

The project involves 2,800 feet of pipes between Graham Road/Hickory Hill Road and Wayne Road/Slade Run Drive and between Kerns Road and Barrett Road. 

The project will take about eight to 10 weeks, said Jerry Scott, Construction Department manager at Fairfax Water. During construction, Annandale Road will remain open and residents in the affected area will be able to access their homes.

After the project is completed, Fairfax Water will repair the road on a temporary basis. VDOT will then repave the road in the spring. 

The new water main will be installed next to the existing pipe, Scott said. Fairfax Water will finish one section of the roadway before starting the other section. It hasn’t been determined which section will be done first. 

The first step in the project is utility marking, according to a flyer distributed to affected residents. Construction crews also might have to conduct a vacuum excavation to locate the existing utilities that the new water mains will cross.

New water mains are typically installed using an open-cut construction method by excavating a trench in a section of the pavement or ground, the flyer states. This work will be done on weekdays to minimize noise and dust. 

There might be temporary lane closures and parking restrictions, Fairfax Water warns. When this happens, workers with flags will guide drivers through the construction zone.   

Each day, open trenches will be backfilled. In paved areas, trenches will be covered with temporary asphalt to provide a drivable surface. In certain locations, steel plates may be used to cover open trenches.

After the new water mains are installed, they must pass a series of tests before they can be placed in service.

The next step is to connect individual customer service lines to the new water mains and to the existing water distribution system. This may result in a few water service disruptions, the flyer states. Customers will be notified in advance. For extended service disruptions lasting longer than 30 minutes, paper notices will be placed on residents’ front doors at least 48 hours in advance.