Major Stormwater Capacity Project Moving To Design Phase

ALEXANDRIA, VA — One of Alexandria's major projects to mitigate flooding will move forward with the design phase.

The city government announced in its Flood Action Alexandria newsletter that a design contract has been awarded for the Hooffs Run Culvert Bypass project, one of the major stormwater capacity projects. Arcadis will conduct the design work, which will begin in early June.

The project will address an area of the city where flooding has been problematic. The current Hooffs Run Culvert doesn't have the capacity to handle stream and stormwater flow during intense rainfall events, which can cause flooding in the surrounding Rosemont neighborhood.

Once completed, the bypass will divert stormwater from Timber Branch away from the Hooff’s Run Culvert. That will be done through a new storm sewer with more capacity under Russell Road and King Street as well as added capacity to the existing culvert. It is particularly targeted to help where Timber Branch turns from an open stream to the culvert near W. Glendale Avenue and Junior Street.

The city government anticipates the design phase will last about two and a half years. Construction is tentatively expected to begin in fall 2026 with project completion in summer 2028. The design phase of the project received funding in fiscal year 2022.

SEE ALSO: Cautious Optimism On Flood Mitigation Work: Alexandria Advisory Group

Terry Suehr, the city's director of the Department of Project Implementation, explained that the larger projects cannot be quickly completed.

"I wish all our flooding issues could be resolved with quick wins, but unfortunately, many are quite complex and can have major impacts on our communities," said Suehr in the Flood Action Alexandria newsletter. "These large capacity projects require significant above- and below-ground surveys and investigations to determine interferences and constraints that could affect our potential solutions."

Some projects are already receiving some funding or will receive funding through the city's 10-year capital budget. The city is accelerating flood mitigation projects through increases in its stormwater utility fee in recent years.

Even while the larger stormwater capacity projects are years away from construction, spot improvement projects can be completed with shorter timelines. The most recently completed spot improvement was inlet capacity in the Parkfairfax neighborhood in May. Residents had experienced flooding damage to houses and vehicles during heavy storms, leading the city to identify drainage issues and some inlets that lead to flooding. The spot improvement project added capacity to the inlets.

Other spot improvement projects in design include replacing inlets, improving drainage and extending the storm sewer on Mount Vernon Avenue near Blue Park in Rosemont, stabilizing Timber Branch banks at Oakland Terrace, the Hume Avenue Bypass, and North Overlook drainage.

More information about Alexandria's Flood Action initiative is available online.