Fairfax County leaders have given the go-ahead for a new shared-use path and planting strip along Shreve Road at the Falls Church border.
On Tuesday (May 7), the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the Fairfax County Department of Transportation to begin the project’s design, land acquisition, and construction that will extend from the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail to Route 7 in Idylwood.
According to a county staff report, the $6.9 million project will include a crosswalk near the intersection of Shreve Road and Gordon Road, benches near the entrance to the W&OD Trail, and stormwater management and drainage.
“While it’s a small connection, I know it will benefit my community, the Dranesville community, the Falls Church City community, and all those who use the W&OD Trail,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said during the board’s May 7 meeting.
Additionally, Palchik highlighted the necessity of the project, which was developed in conjunction with Falls Church City after a pedestrian was fatally struck by a truck at the intersection of Shreve Road and Hickory Street in 2019.
“The engineering piece of pedestrian safety is often the most expensive, but also the most effective,” she said.
The project is part of a broader initiative to enhance connectivity to Falls Church City’s West End, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, the Meridian High School campus and the West Falls Church Metro station, per the report.
According to the report, the City of Falls Church plans to reimburse the county for construction costs using $6.9 million in funds awarded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The city authorized the arrangement, which makes the county responsible for design and construction, in February.
Construction is slated to start in the fall of 2026 and finish in the spring of 2027.
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