The clock is ticking for Falls Church officials to approve the construction of a traffic roundabout at Annandale Road and S. Maple Avenue.
The Virginia Department of Transportation “is breathing down our neck to get this done,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said at a Wednesday agenda-setting session with Mayor Letty Hardi and City Council members.
It’s not just VDOT pressing for swift action. City officials have to ratify a construction agreement by early February or face going back and starting the bidding process anew.
That is unlikely to be necessary. Final approval of the construction contract is expected at one of the Council’s two January meetings, slated for Jan. 13 and 27.
At the same time, Council members are slated to approve taking legal steps to forcibly acquire a slice of one of the private properties abutting the roundabout. Part of the project’s delay has been due to acquisition of right-of-way, Shields told Council members.
The land is needed for the project, city officials say. The property owner has been unresponsive to city overtures, staff said in a memo to Council members in the lead-up to a planned work session on Monday. That meeting was cancelled owing to weather conditions.
At the Wednesday agenda-setting meeting, there was discussion of the materials to be used for the sidewalks encircling the roundabout. While a final decision on that is not an immediate concern, Shields said it would need to be addressed relatively soon.
“The contractor needs to know what they’ll be building,” he said.
The S. Maple/Annandale Road improvements emanated from the city’s 2005 Comprehensive Plan, which suggested replacing stoplights with a roundabout there.
“The roundabout [requires] less maintenance over time, and will promise less conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, making it much safer,” city staff say.
Improved crosswalks, “refuge” islands for pedestrians, better lighting and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act are all part of the construction effort.
VDOT Weighs in on Falls Church’s Bicycle Plan: The Virginia Department of Transportation has weighed in with “supportive, helpful” feedback on Falls Church’s proposed new master bicycle plan.
City Manager Wyatt Shields briefly updated City Council members on the plan’s progress at the Jan. 8 mayor’s agenda-setting meeting.
Council members, who discussed the staff proposal in December, are expected to approve the updated bicycle plan at their Jan. 27 meeting. Upon adoption, it will be incorporated into city’s Comprehensive Plan.
The governments of neighboring Arlington and Fairfax counties also have the opportunity to weigh in on the plan and any impacts it might have on their jurisdictions.
