Ground Broken On W&OD Trail Bridge Over Wiehle Avenue In Reston

RESTON, VA — Elected officials, bicycling advocates and Virginia Department of Transportation representatives broke ground Thursday morning near the intersection of Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road in Reston on a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge.

Financed by federal and state grants, the bridge is part of the Reston Metrorail Access Group program and replaces that at-grade crossing of the W&OD Trail over Wiehle Avenue.

An estimated 3,000 W&OD Trail users cross the Wiehle Avenue intersection, according to Fairfax County. Eleven crashes have been reported at or near the intersection since June 2018.

The addition of a bridge over Wiehle Avenue is expected to eliminate conflicts between trail users and vehicles, as well as reduce the number of rear-end collisions at the intersection, according to Fairfax County.

Along with the installation of the bridge, Wiehle Avenue will be widened in both directions from Sunset Hills Road to the Reston Fire Station and Pupatella Pizza entrances. This will allow for the addition of two 5-foot-wide bike lanes in keeping with Fairfax County’s Comprehensive Transportation plan.

The project is expected to be finished late spring/early summer of 2024.