Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail users will have to wait a little longer before they can cross Wiehle Avenue in Reston without having to brave vehicular traffic.
A bridge over the busy roadway was slated to open to pedestrians, bicyclists and other travelers on Tuesday, July 9, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn announced on July 3.
“This is very exciting,” Alcorn said in a video filmed on the bridge. “We’ve got this project almost complete, going through final inspections, and very, very soon, there’s going to be a safe way for folks to stay on the trail, get across Wiehle Avenue, and I’m really looking forward to that.”
However, those who went to use the bridge this week instead encountered construction barrels blocking the way, though that didn’t stop some people from walking or riding past the barrier. The block was later reinforced with tape and orange fencing, a tipster told FFXnow.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation confirmed that the opening was delayed, as crews continue to work on the bridge.
“The construction crew is adjusting a fence on the newly constructed Wiehle Pedestrian Bridge required to obtain a permit,” FCDOT spokesperson Freddy Serrano said. “As soon as all safety regulations are met, we will be officially opening this project.”
There’s no clear timeline yet for when the bridge might actually open.
Even after people get access to the bridge, additional work in the area will be needed to widen Wiehle Avenue and install walkways on both sides of the road, according to Alcorn’s office.
“During this construction work, small sections of the trail alongside the bridge will be temporarily closed,” Brian Worthy, Alcorn’s communications director, previously told FFXnow. “However, walkers and bikers will continue to be able to use the bridge while this work is ongoing.”
Already endorsed by firefighters at the nearby Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Station 25, the 147-foot-long, 16-foot-wide pedestrian bridge was installed about 18 feet above Wiehle Avenue in mid-April, but it has been in the works since before the first Obama administration.
The “grade-separated crossing” was among dozens of transportation improvements recommended in an April 2008 study by the Reston Metrorail Access Group, an advisory committee that Alcorn’s predecessor, Cathy Hudgins, appointed in spring 2006 to prepare for the arrival of Metro’s Silver Line.
Though the Wiehle Metro station opened in 2014, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors didn’t approve a final design for the bridge crossing until July 2018.
Preliminary work to relocate utilities began in 2021, and construction workers finally broke ground in March 2023. To accommodate the new span, the project has required “minor roadway, sidewalk and median modifications” to Wiehle at the crossing, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) said on its website.
Estimated to cost $12 million, the bridge is a key step in an ongoing effort by the county to make the Wiehle Avenue corridor safer and more comfortable for pedestrians, cyclists and other travelers. FCDOT closed a survey to get public feedback on proposed changes, including lane reductions, sidewalks, bicycle facilities and landscaping, this past Monday (July 1).
At a May meeting to present their proposed concepts for a redesigned Wiehle Avenue, FCDOT staff said they anticipated completing the study and sharing a final concept this fall.
