Fairfax County marked the completion of the Ashgrove Trail and Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream restoration at a ribbon-cutting in Vienna on Monday, Sept. 28.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn invited the public to the 5 p.m. ceremony near 8618 Westwood Center Drive. Alcorn posted on X that morning, telling residents the ceremony would be "a short walk down the trail" from parking on Westwood Center Drive.

The nearly $2.9 million project restored about 2,000 linear feet of stream channel south of the Dulles Access Road, extending downstream through Old Courthouse Spring Branch Stream Valley Park to Ashgrove Lane. Crews replaced a damaged stream crossing with a new concrete culvert under Ashgrove Lane, rebuilt the trail with new hand railings and repaired extensive downstream erosion.

Erosion prompted the work

The stream banks had become severely eroded and over-widened, according to the county's project page. Fairfax County first identified the site in the Difficult Run Watershed Management Plan and added it to its fiscal year 2019 work plan after ongoing erosion threatened a downstream stormwater basin.

Construction began in winter 2024. Landscaping was scheduled for completion by spring 2026, and the county confirmed the trail crossing was open for use as of July 29.

Nearly $2.9 million price tag

Design cost $900,000.

The construction contract totaled $1,977,212. Both were funded through the county's Stormwater Service District. Justin Pistore of the Stormwater Planning Division managed the project.

Beyond fixing the trail, the restoration aims to stabilize the channel, reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment runoff, protect the surrounding forest and restore native vegetation along the stream. The project is formally titled the Old Courthouse Spring Branch at Ashgrove Historic Park Stream Restoration.

The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling noted the rebuilt trail provides a more durable stream crossing for cyclists and pedestrians traveling between Tysons and Vienna. FABB encouraged riders to attend the ceremony and try the renewed path afterward.

The trail crossing has been open since July 29, and residents can access it from Westwood Center Drive.