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Board approves $750,000 design allocation for historic Goose Creek Bridge; construction funding to follow
Summary
The board approved a $750,000 line item for design of the 200‑year‑old Goose Creek Bridge in partnership with NOVA Parks, citing emergency stabilization needs and a larger $5–6 million estimated construction cost. The motion passed 7–2; staff said the design phase would likely lead to a CIP request for construction funding.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 6 to create a $750,000 line item to fund design work for the historic Goose Creek Bridge, moving the money from a federal impacts contingency account. Supervisor Tacrone, who made the motion, said design funding is the first step in preserving a 200‑year‑old stone bridge that has been a local landmark since the early republic era; the measure passed 7–2, with Supervisors LeTourneau and Umstead voting no.
"This remarkable stone bridge structure has been a landmark in Loudoun County for over 200 years," Supervisor Tacrone said, noting NOVA Parks’ request for county assistance and a proposed county‑NOVA Parks partnership for the work. Tacrone said recent engineering recommendations call for an extensive rebuild that likely would require partial disassembly and careful reassembly.
Heather Dietz of the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure (DTCI) told the board an assessment performed with VDOT support identified emergency stabilization needs and produced the design and construction estimates. "As part of that report ... there are emergency needed repairs as part of that construction cost," Dietz said; she declined to provide a line‑by‑line cost of emergency stabilization without consulting the detailed estimate.
Board members emphasized that the $750,000 action funds design work only and does not commit the county to construct the full project. Staff said customary practice is to include a construction request in the CIP once design is underway and cost estimates are refined; DTCI staff indicated construction could be proposed for FY2028 or FY2029.
The motion directed staff to create the Goose Creek Bridge Design line item and allocate $750,000 for design; supervisors discussed whether a memorandum of understanding with NOVA Parks exists (staff confirmed there is an existing MOU addressing stabilization work). Supporters framed the project as preserving a county heritage asset; some supervisors objected to using contingency funds now without seeing broader CIP tradeoffs.
Next steps: staff will complete design procurement and return to the CIP process with recommended phasing and construction funding timing, including any proposed cost‑share arrangements with NOVA Parks.
