Fairfax County is moving forward with the first projects in a multimillion dollar blueprint of trail improvements, including a plan to link the county’s extensive network of pathways with Alexandria’s.
Some of the projects are funded through a $25 million park bond passed overwhelmingly by voters on Nov. 7, $5 million of which goes toward trails. Of the nine trail projects that park officials hope to pay for through the bond issue, those that connect pathways and deal with safety issues will be given priority, said Park Authority spokeswoman Judy Pedersen.
“We’ll go down that list and hit as many as we can,” she said.
The improvements may draw more outdoor enthusiasts from Maryland and D.C. to the county’s trails.
Last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors green-lighted a trio of trail improvements, including the $1.4 million bond-funded construction of the Holmes Run Stream Valley Trail between Columbia Pike and Alexandria through Glen Hills Park, which will provide a seamless connection between the county and city trails.
Another of the projects would improve the 40-mile Cross County Trail Network, the county’s answer to the Appalachian Trail. The county will use $224,000 of bond funds to improve the connection from Danbury Forest Drive to Lake Accotink Park, including an asphalt and boardwalk trail and a pedestrian bridge.
Also, the county will begin work on segment two of the Mason Neck Trail with funds provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation. That portion of the trail extends from Pohick Regional Park to west of the entrance to Gunston Hall Plantation.
The third segment of the trail is complete, and segment one is planned for future construction.
