Walkers, joggers and cyclists soon will have to take a detour on the Four Mile Run Trail as Arlington County works to revitalize the path and the stream that borders it.
Work on the Arlington side of Four Mile Run between Mt. Vernon Avenue and Route 1 tentatively is scheduled to begin tomorrow (Sept. 20) and last until next fall, according to a county notice. During construction, the path in that area will close.
Trail users can take a detour through Alexandria across the stream. Signage on the path will provide directions.
The pathway will get new asphalt and railings, as well as a new observation platform. As for the stream, the county’s notice adds:
The work in the stream will include naturalization of the stream bank and construction of living shoreline features along the edge of the stream. Living shorelines are a more environmentally sensitive way to protect stream banks and coastal areas, with wetland plantings behind small stone breakwaters. They provide numerous benefits including:
- reducing erosion along the bank,
- improving water quality by capturing sediment and utilizing nutrients, and
- providing habitat for fish and waterfowl.
The existing stone rip rap that currently covers the stream banks will be removed and replaced with native vegetation that will improve the habitat quality and aesthetics of the stream channel. Some of the stone will also be reused to create the living shoreline features.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration project is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. near Mt. Vernon Avenue and S. Glebe Road.