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Falls Church Council endorses VDOT design for Sharrow Avenue culvert replacement over Trips Run
Summary
Council voted 6-0 to endorse VDOT’s design to replace a deteriorated culvert on Sharrow Avenue near Oak Street Elementary. The project, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will use precast box culverts, require a full roadway closure during one construction phase and aims to improve pedestrian access and ADA compliance.
Falls Church City Council on Monday endorsed the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) design for the Sharrow Avenue culvert replacement over Trips Run, voting 6-0 to move the design forward while VDOT advances right-of-way work and utility coordination.
The vote means the city supports replacing the failing corrugated metal pipes with a precast box culvert, lowering a raised junction chamber to allow a full-width ADA sidewalk, and completing the job in a single construction phase that requires a full closure of Sharrow Avenue. VDOT staff said construction is expected to be advertised in spring 2026 and begin in summer 2026, subject to schedule changes.
The design matter carries local safety and access implications. The culvert sits very near Oak Street Elementary School and has been rated poor in biannual inspections because of pipe deterioration and a low load rating (about 13 tons), VDOT presenters told the council. The project’s scope is limited to the public right-of-way between the upstream inlet and the junction chamber; VDOT said work does not include culverts buried under private properties downstream, which residents have linked to flooding.
VDOT and its consultant design team described the technical plan: replace the multiple deteriorated CMP (corrugated metal pipe) sections with a precast box culvert to improve hydraulic efficiency and speed construction, remove or lower the junction chamber so the sidewalk can be widened and made ADA-compliant, and install the city’s selected railing treatment to match nearby projects. VDOT said the project will install a temporary pedestrian route during work, provide signed detours for vehicular traffic, and protect trees by limiting construction to the right-of-way and limited easements.
Cost and schedule details presented to council: preliminary engineering $1,500,000; right-of-way allocation $500,000; construction estimate $3,100,000. VDOT representatives said the project is funded entirely by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and that these amounts are preliminary and subject to change. The project’s preliminary engineering was authorized in July 2023; right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to begin in July 2025; utility relocations (performed by others) are anticipated to finish in March 2026.
Council members asked about community outreach and student safety; VDOT said the schools have participated in prior town halls and will receive advance messaging before construction begins. Residents had raised concerns at earlier public meetings about maintaining safe pedestrian access during construction and protecting trees on private property where the sidewalk will be widened; VDOT said it will install a temporary sidewalk around the work and has coordinated with property owners on tree protection and limited construction easements. VDOT also confirmed on-site coordination with utility providers: a gas line located under the sidewalk will be relocated and some overhead lines will be adjusted by Verizon and Dominion before major work.
Council endorsed the design plan at the meeting while VDOT staff were present so the partners could proceed through right-of-way and utility phases. The action recorded in the agenda and minutes is: “endorse the design plan for the Sherrow/Sharrow Avenue over Trips Run culvert replacement project as presented at the design public hearing conducted by VDOT on 11/12/2024, and presented to city council on 02/24/2025.” The roll-call recorded: Miss Connolly — yes; Miss Downs — yes; Vice Mayor Shontes Hiscott — yes; Councilmember David Snyder (remote) — yes; Miss Underhill — yes; Mayor Letty Hardy — yes. Motion carries 6 to 0.
What’s next: VDOT will proceed with right-of-way steps and utility coordination; council and staff said they will continue to coordinate school messaging, tree protections and driveway access for nearby residents. The council heard that downstream concrete pipe replacements and some private-property drainage work are not funded by this project and would require separate action by the city or property owners.
