Old Dominion Drive Improvements on Track to Begin This Winter

Construction of long-awaited improvements to a 1-mile stretch of Old Dominion Drive in North Arlington are on track to being later this year.

The improvements, initially developed in the late 1990s, run roughly from 29th Street North to 37th Street North and include new sidewalks on both sides of the street, curb and gutter, upgrades to transit stops and traffic signals, plus new street lights and street trees.

County officials are finalizing the costs associated with those improvements and hope to award a contract for the work later this summer, spokeswoman Laura Smith told Patch. Construction would start this winter.

Old Dominion Drive is the last main thoroughfare in Arlington that goes through neighborhoods without a sidewalk on either side, according to the project's website.

The improvements are designed to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety and reduce potential flooding.

The county held a public forum on the improvements in late June and residents expressed a number of concerns. As a result, the county will conduct a tree inventory before the project begins and assist with the removal and replacement of certain trees.

Residents asked the county to lower the speed limit on the road. The county will request a state traffic study to determine if a lower speed limit is warranted once the improvements are complete, according to a transcript from the public hearing.

Residents also asked for a traffic signal at the Old Dominion-Little Falls Road intersection. The county doesn't believe that is necessary due to the low traffic volume on Little Falls Road.

The county is currently exploring the best places to put bus shelters without obtaining any additional right-of-way, the transcript states.