Construction is ramping up today (Sept. 14) on the $5.2 million project to replace the one-lane Hunter Mill Road bridge that runs over Colvin Run near Vienna.
A new two-lane bridge where Hunter Mill crosses Colvin Run right near the border of Reston and Vienna is set to replace the nearly five-decade-old, weight-restricted one-lane bridge currently there.
While construction began a year ago, this week marks the beginning of using temporary traffic signals and Driveway Assistance Devices (DADs) in the vicinity of the bridge to allow crews to complete construction on the new bridge. Those will be in place until the new two-lane bridge reopens to traffic in the spring of 2023.
Vienna: Around noon Wed 9/14, temporary traffic signals and Driveway Assistance Devices (DADs) will be activated along Hunter Mill Rd in the area of Colvin Run to allow construction to continue on the new bridge. Sadly, these DADs won't have jokes. More: https://t.co/RnOKQkydae pic.twitter.com/aZACjX6nUw
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) September 12, 2022
The existing bridge was built in 1974 and is being replaced both because it’s in need of major repairs and to help with traffic, per Mike Murphy with the Virginia Department of Transportation.
“The new bridge will have two lanes, thereby improving traffic flow as traffic in one direction will no longer have to yield to the other when crossing the bridge,” Murphy told FFXnow.
That section of Hunter Mill Road averages about 7,400 vehicles per day.
Beyond a new bridge, there will also be a landscaped median/splitter island and abutments for a new trail bridge over Colvin Run. Fairfax County is responsible for the trail bridge and it’s expected to be built in the future.
The project is costing $5.2 million in total, including $1 million for engineering and $4.2 million for construction. Funding is a mix of federal, state, and county funds with the state contributing about $3.3 million from its State of Good Repair program and the county about $400,00 to the project, per Murphy.
The full VDOT press release on the use of temporary traffic signals and DADs:
Temporary traffic signals on Hunter Mill Road (Route 674) will be activated just north and south of Colvin Run around noon Wednesday, Sept. 14 as part of the Hunter Mill Road over Colvin Run bridge project, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
Swimming laps is a terrific, low-impact exercise option and a pleasant way to work out… But there’s another reason to consider jumping in a pool: a growing body of research is finding that swimming in particular holds multiple, unique benefits for our brain health.
“These recent studies are fascinating, and the findings are increasingly positive,” says William Wesley Myers, Assistant Vice President of Wellness Strategies at Mather. Mather is the owner operator of The Mather, a Life Plan Community that is coming to Tysons in 2024. “We’re learning that science shows that swimming regularly can improve one’s cognitive function as well as short- and long-term memory, and may help repair damage caused by stress.”
Cynthia Sitcov of Arlington is a lifelong swimmer who is looking forward to moving to The Mather and enjoying the on-site indoor pool there. “I swim five days a week — it’s addictive for me,” she says. “If I go a day or two without swimming, my body craves it.”
A Proven Pool of Benefits
One study of older adults found that those who swam had improved attention and mental speed compared to a group that didn’t swim. And swimming can offer a cognitive boost to younger people: a study of younger athletes (including swimmers and land-based athletes) found that 20 minutes of moderate-intensity breaststroke swimming improved cognitive function. Children have been found to learn better after swimming than after anaerobic exercise or a resting activity like coloring.
“It’s exciting to see this scientific data supporting the benefits of such an accessible activity,” says William. “Swimming and aquatics classes are gentle on joints and don’t require great mobility. Anyone can use aquatic exercise to improve muscle endurance as well as core strength and endurance, while burning an estimated 400 to 500 calories in an hour of exercise.”
More specifically, research shows that aquatic exercise can help with the following:
- Strengthen the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- Improve bone density — particularly in post-menopausal women
- Boost pulmonary function and blood pressure
- Increase muscular strength and stamina
- Improve range of motion
- Increase circulation
- Reduce body fat and tone the body
Japanese researchers found that women age 60 to 75 who participated in regular aquatic exercise for 12 weeks demonstrated more strength, flexibility and agility, and had better total cholesterol levels, than a control group.
Swimming and aquatic exercise can also have a powerful effect on mood. Research has also shown that exercising in water is a natural mood-booster, enhancing self-esteem while reducing stress, anxiety and depression.
“Swimming for me is like meditation in motion; I count my laps and don’t think about anything else,” says Cynthia. “Even when I’m having a bad day, I’ll feel better after I swim. I never get out of the pool feeling lousy; I feel like my body was just plugged into an energy source.”
It can also be a social experience: “I’ve been swimming with the same people for 25 years,” says Cynthia. “We’ve solved the world’s problems, talking 10 minutes at a time in the locker room.”
All of the above seem like great reasons for everyone to give swimming and aquatic exercise a try. In other words, everyone in the pool!
The Mather, projected to open in Tysons, VA, in 2024 for those 62 and better, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community that defies expectations of what senior living is supposed to be. The community’s comprehensive fitness center will include an indoor swimming pool.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
The theater at the Founders Row mixed-use project could be scaled down from earlier plans, but the tradeoff is that Falls Church could be getting a new arcade and bowling alley.
At a meeting of the Falls Church City Council on Monday, the Council reviewed requested changes for Founders Row. The development was approved for 59,493 square feet of ground floor retail, 4,946 square feet of office space, 394 apartments and a 32,079 square foot, 2-story movie theater. That theater, though, has become something of a sticking point.
Along the way, developer Mill Creek Residential Trust has asked for concessions that the City Council said they’ve been reticent to give. One condition of approval was a cap on residential occupancies at 50% until the movie theater was opened.
The theater was originally slated to be a Studio Movie Grill, but the dine-in movie chain filed for bankruptcy due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[The] Applicant had previously entered a lease agreement with a theater operator, but the operator declared bankruptcy stemming from economic challenges due to the COVID pandemic,” the staff report said.
The report noted that Mill Creek wanted to be able to fully open the residential side of the project even if they were unable to secure another movie theater.
“With the bankruptcy and loss of the original theater and the current marketplace the ability to secure a replacement theater was delayed, while the Founders Row project construction and apartment occupancies were continuing,” the report said. “In order to release the second half of the project residential apartment for occupancies, Mill Creek agreed to add additional guarantees in support of the theater by escrowing $3.6 million in funds for commercial tenant improvements and with at least 50 percent of the total commercial retail having tenant improvements underway prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancies for the last twenty (20) residential units.”
Lee and Lee-Jackson highways may officially no more.
In a 9-1 decision, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to change names of Lee and Lee-Jackson highways to Route 29 and Route 50 respectively.
Most Parents Believe FCPS is a Safe Environment — “Over 90% of Fairfax County, Virginia, parents who responded to a family engagement survey agreed their child feels safe at school and their child’s school is safe… the survey found 91% of the 35,109 parents and guardians who responded agreed or strongly agreed that their child feels safe at school, while 89% agreed or strongly agreed that their child’s school is safe.” [WTOP]
Advocates: County Not Doing Enough to Limit Deportations — “A Fairfax County policy aimed at protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation is not being implemented aggressively enough, a coalition of immigrant advocacy groups said — although they also acknowledge that Fairfax has been more aggressive than other jurisdictions on the issue.” [The Washington Post]
County Board Approves Bonuses for Police, Nurses — “The Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, Virginia, voted Tuesday to authorize bonuses of up to $15,000 for new hires in certain jobs. The board authorized County Executive Bryan Hill to grant the bonuses, which Supervisor Pat Herrity called important to getting people into jobs ‘where we are losing recruits to surrounding jurisdictions.'” [WTOP]
Kite Flyers Reminded of Dangers — The county is reminding residents to avoid leaving kite string filament in trees or on the ground. County officials say that several incidents above Laurel Hill Park, the Central Green and Laurel Hill Golf Club. [Fairfax County Government]
Reston Association Pools Open for Extra Weekend — North Shore pool will be open this weekend from noon to 6 p.m. for members, adding a weekend to the typical pools season. [RA]
It’s Wednesday — Clear throughout the day. High of 78 and low of 60. Sunrise at 6:51 am and sunset at 7:20 pm. [Weather.gov]
There has been no shortage of thinkpieces about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed workplaces, from the waning demand for office space to widespread staffing deficits as workers reevaluated their goals and working conditions.
Program to Control Deer Population in Fairfax County Begins — “Hunters who qualify and undergo training can now take part in the deer archery program in Fairfax County, Virginia, through February 18. The program began in 2010 as a part of the county’s deer management program to reduce and stabilize the white-tailed deer population.” [WTOP]
Temporary Traffic Signals Installed along Hunter Mill Road — Temporary traffic signals on Hunter Mill Road will be activated north and south of Colvin Run around noon tomorrow (Wednesday) as part of the Colvin Run bridge project. [Virginia Department of Transportation]
Duties Fall to Councilmember in Vienna — Town Council elections have been moved to November of next year, which means that Councilmember Ed Womers will remain mayor pro temper until a new council is seated. [Town of Vienna]
Reston Library Event to Explore Population Changes — Speaker Jeff Jordan, president and CEO of Population Reference Bureau, will visit Reston Regional Library from 2-4 p.m. for a roundtable discussion on how changing demographics affect decision-making. [Fairfax County Government]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 78 and low of 67. Sunrise at 6:50 am and sunset at 7:22 pm. [Weather.gov]
CMX CinéBistro was originally scheduled to open later this month, but the upscale theater chain has pushed its showtime back to October.
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
I would really love for these 85 degree humid days to subside already!
I’m so happy football has started, now I’m ready for sweatshirts, fire pits and more fall things, including apple picking! Make sure you’re checking their social media and/or websites to verify when they’re open.
Some orchards/farms close down if it’s raining, or if they’ve been over picked to allow more fruit to ripen. Many will also have fall festivals if you check websites to make a whole day of it.
- Marker-Miller Orchards: Apple picking plus lots of options to purchase in their farm market.
- Homestead Farm: Apples and pumpkins during the end of September.
- Hartland Farm and Orchard: Apples and pumpkins.
- Crooked Run Orchard: Apples and pears. Check their Facebook page for updates and hours.
- Stribling Orchard: Apples and pumpkins.
- Mackintosh Fruit Farm: Apples, Asian pears, yellow peaches, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and flowers.
- Rock Hill Orchard: Ice Cream, apples (require reservations), peaches and flowers.
- Hollin Farms: Apples, some veggies, dig your own potatoes.
- Valley View Farm: Apples, pears and pumpkins (October), they also have an extensive Locavore Farm Market with a lot of products to try.
- Great Country Farms: Apples, corn maze, farm play area, jumping pillow and more attractions. You can buy tickets to their Apple Fest until September 30. Starting on September 17 you can also pick your own pumpkin. BONUS: This is across from Dirt Farm Breweryand Bluemont Vineyard, so if you’re looking for an adult treat after the kids play, just cross the street!
Local reporter Michael Lee Pope has reignited a war on social media over the name Tysons.
The micro-debacle started with Pope’s reporting on the race to take over Mark Keam’s 35th District after the delegate announced his retirement. Pope listed Keam’s district as including parts of Vianna, Oakton, Fair Oaks and — crucially “Tysons Corner.”
Special election in #VAHD35 to feature Democrats @KarlFrisch and @HollySeiboldVA. The old 35th District (before redistricting) formerly represented by @MarkKeam includes parts of Tysons Corner, Vienna, Oakton and Fair Oaks #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/38vrLJNreX
— Michael Pope (@MichaelLeePope) September 7, 2022
Tysonians may recognize this as something of a controversial issue in the area with some locals pushing to drop the corner and just call the area Tysons.
Like Beetlejuice, writing “Tysons Corner” triggered the appearance of the Tysons, VA Twitter account.
Shucks, OK : ) . . . #DropTheCorner back by popular demand.
