CIRS Mold Toxicity Treatment in Franconia, VA

Courtesy of VPRA

RICHMOND, Va. – VPRA selects Skanska/Flatiron Joint Venture for the Long Bridge-North Package and Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture for the Franconia-Springfield Bypass

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) announced in a press release that it has selected Skanska/Flatiron Joint Venture for the Long Bridge-North Package and Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture for the Franconia-Springfield Bypass.

“Selecting construction partners for the Long Bridge-North Package and the Franconia-Springfield Bypass represents a significant milestone in our plan to build passenger rail infrastructure at a level not seen in generations. . . We look forward to working with both teams in this important step toward making rail a viable transportation option and truly Transforming Rail in Virginia,” said Executive Director of VPRA, DJ Stadtler.

Jennifer DeBruhl, Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Chair of the VPRA Board said: “We are eager to collaborate with both teams to bring Virginia another step closer in dramatically improving its rail infrastructure. . . With the Long Bridge-North Package and Franconia-Springfield Bypass, Virginians will one day be able to have more abilities to travel by train, and the economy will grow with a more efficient rail network benefitting both passenger and freight rail.”

LONG BRIDGE-NORTH PACKAGE

According to the press release, the Long Bridge-North Package will use a Progressive Design-Build project delivery method. Earlier this year, VPRA issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for qualified design-build teams for the north end of the Long Bridge Project from the northern banks of the Potomac River to south of the L’Enfant Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Station. Selecting Skanska/Flatiron Joint Venture is a major step toward the realization of the largest project in the Commonwealth’s TRV initiative. The Long Bridge is near 30% design, and the “Skanska/Flatiron Joint Venture team will take the project from the design phase through construction.” In 2024, early prep work will begin “with full construction commencing in early 2025,” and “construction is expected to be completed in 2030.”

Currently, the Long Bridge is a 119-year-old railroad bridge connects Arlington, Virginia with Washington D.C. It operates at 98% capacity during peak, and “as a result, additional capacity is necessary to meet future demand and to relieve a major chokepoint for rail traffic along the East Coast.”

The Project has two procurement packages – a North Package and a South Package. These will “construct a new modern, two-track railroad bridge and will allow for the separation of passenger and freight rail traffic, improving trip times and on-time performance for both along the corridor.” The South Package is currently in the procurement process with Request for Proposals (RFP) that will be released to shortlisted teams in February 2024.

The North Package covers a complicated area of construction from the new bridge’s northern abutment to L’Enfant interlocking near L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. The construction work includes:

The total cost of the Long Bridge Project is estimated to be $2.3 billion. This includes both the North and South Packages.

FRANCONIA-SPRINGFIELD BYPASS

According to the release, the Franconia-Springfield Bypass project will be delivered using the Construction Manager/General Contractor project delivery method. VPRA selected Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture after issuing a RFP. The project will alleviate train interference between Fredericksburg and Washington, D.C. The area is one of the most congested areas in Virginia, and when the project is completed, “the bypass will be an approximately 0.9-mile-long dedicated passenger rail bridge located just south of the Franconia-Springfield Metro station.” Construction work is slated to begin by the end of March of 2024 and last for two years.

Flatiron Senior Vice President for Mid-Atlantic, Jim Schneiderman said: “Flatiron and Herzog are thrilled to partner with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority on the Franconia-Springfield Bypass project. This partnership leverages our collective rail expertise throughout North America and strengthens Flatiron’s presence in the Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. area. . . Flatiron and Herzog are both committed to enhancing the well-being of communities in which we live and work. This project will do just that by reducing congestion and providing safer, more reliable rail service.”

This bypass structure will allow passenger trains to cross over two freight tracks to reach passenger stops on the other side of the railroad, allowing for “improved service for both passenger and freight trains in the area.” Owned by the VPRA, the bypass will also create two separate rail corridors, “one for passenger trains and one for freight trains and will serve both Amtrak and VRE trains.” The estimated cost for the Bypass project is $405 million.

In 2021, VPRA launched the Transforming Rail in Virginia (TRV) initiative “with a goal to expand the availability of passenger rail throughout the Commonwealth.” The 10-year initiative will “acquire railroad corridors and upgrade them, increasing rail capacity with a portfolio of capital projects designed to improve reliability and increase rail service in Virginia.” VPRA reports Amtrak is contributing $944 million to the program while serving as VRPA’s operational partner for the Amtrak Virginia state-supported rail service.

Amtrak Vice President Ray Lang said: “We celebrate this major development that will get shovels in the ground and start construction for these projects. We are proud for these projects. We are proud to partner with VPRA and share the commitment to transform transportation by creating the infrastructure to expand East Coast commuter and passenger train capacity.”

VPRA was able to purchase the railroad corridor for the TRV projects through an agreement with CSX. While the projects are focused on passenger rail, they will also “alleviate congestion on freight tracks, thereby increasing the availability of CSX freight throughput for the Commonwealth and the Port of Virginia.”

Randy Marcus, Director of State Relations for VA, WV, and DC for CSX Transportation said: “CSX congratulates VPRA on selection of construction partners for the Long Bridge North and Franconia-Springfield Bypass projects. . . Infrastructure projects like these are essential to expanding capacity, improving fluidity, and separating freight and passenger operations in this congested corridor. We look forward to continuing to advance our partnership with Virginia to deliver improved service to both CSX customers and CRE and Amtrak riders.” The VRE has supported VRPA projects with up to $200 million in contributions toward the TRV program.

“These two projects will be game changers for VRE, allowing us to expand service in the region,” said VRE’s CEO Rich Dalton. “And the reduction in congestion that will result from the separation of freight and passenger trains will significantly improve our reliability. VRE is pleased to partner with VPRA and see these projects move forward.”

“NVTA’s $23 million investment in the Franconia-Springfield Bypass Project is more than a financial contribution; it’s a commitment to deliver faster, more frequent, and reliable passenger rail service to Virginia, said Monica Backmon, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA). “We take pride in this investment, as it represents our dedication to providing multimodal options to reduce congestion, ultimately moving commuters more efficiently.”

Through TRV, the Commonwealth of Virginia will:

Once building permits are approved, construction can start on the two hospitals.

Inova Health System wants to see its new Springfield and Alexandria hospitals under construction in the third quarter of 2024, the Washington Business Journal reports.

The Falls Church–based health system filed building permits for both. Once approved, construction could start on the $612 million Springfield hospital near the existing Springfield HealthPlex and on the $1 billion Alexandria facility on the site of the former Landmark Mall.

In Springfield, the Inova Franconia-Springfield Hospital will be within walking distance to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station and Virginia Railway Express.

Inova said last March that the new Springfield hospital will have 110 beds spread across two patient towers, as well as private rooms, an expanded emergency room, diagnostic imaging, and multiple procedural rooms.

The Alexandria hospital would replace the one on Seminary Road with a much larger acute-care hospital, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, and a specialty care center with about 50 specialized physicians, and a 550-space parking garage. Plans call for the main hospital building near Interstate 395 to be 184 feet or 17 stories tall. Inova has a 99-year ground lease for the West End site that Alexandria approved in 2020.

The timeline for completion of the two projects, according to the Business Journal is the third quarter of 2028.

Additionally, Inova will have another facility off Richmond Highway in the Del Ray area. Inova Oakville at Potomac Yard will have an emergency room, outpatient center, and medical offices. It sits less than a half-mile from Potomac Yard shopping center. The hospital held a “topping out” ceremony last April when the final structural beam was placed on the building.

The projects are all part of providing state-of-the-art health care in the eastern region of NoVA.

Feature rendering of proposed Springfield hospital courtesy Inova.

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Plans for a development near the Franconia-Springfield Metro now include a 300-unit multifamily building.

Patch Staff

FRANCONIA, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve a residential addition to a future development near the Franconia-Springfield Metro station. The Liberty View mixed-use development will now include a 300-unit multifamily apartment building, according to developer Monument Realty.

Liberty View will be located on a 13.4-acre site in the northwest part of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Beulah Street intersection. The residential building is planned to have 12,675 square feet of ground-level retail, a swimming pool, fitness center, bike trails and covered parking.

Planning has been in the works for nearly a decade with multiple amendments submitted to the county along the way. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved rezoning of the site in April 2011, allowing up to five office buildings between 180,000 and 220,000 square feet, and one of those office buildings to be substituted for a hotel use. The latest approval allows for one of the office buildings to be substituted for the residential use.

Rodney Lusk, the new Lee District supervisor, voiced support for the substitution from office to residential use for one building. He noted that the local real estate market and county have seen increasing office vacancy rates.

The latest approval means the initial construction phase can begin for the development. The Lee District Land Use Committee and Fairfax County Planning commission endorsed the proposal before the Board of Supervisors approval.

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"We are extremely pleased by the prospect of bringing a mixed-use development to this important Metro location," said Russell Hines, president of Monument Realty, in a statement. "With the new TSA headquarters opening in 2020, the recent renovation of the Springfield Town Center and the Amazon announcement earlier this year, the Franconia-Springfield area is well-positioned to welcome new residential, hotel, retail, and office development to an area that has great market fundamentals."

According to county staff, the main access point to the development would be through Jasper Lane, a private street connected to Metro Park Drive. A right-turn only entrance from Beulah Street was also proposed.

A timeline for the project construction has not been announced.

An application to build a new townhouse development on Beulah Street, a mile from the Franconia-Springfield Metro station, was filed with Fairfax County last week.

Beazer Homes is looking to bring a 26-unit development called Devonshire to the corner of Beulah Street and Alforth Avenue, according to a rezoning application was sent to the county’s planning and development department last Friday (June 17).

Devonshire would include a 1,500-square-foot “tot lot,” public plaza space, a picnic area with grills and tables, and a walking trail. A new private street and a sidewalk will be constructed, connecting the development to Beulah Street.

Each house is anticipated to have a deck and a 200-square-foot private yard, the renderings show.

The development’s total area of land appears to be about 3.3 acres, though about half of it will be open space. The lot also contains five single-family homes that were built between 1934 and 1950, per a note in the application. Those homes are expected to remain.

Since Devonshire would have fewer than 50 units, it does not need to adhere to the county’s Affordable Dwelling Unit requirements. However, Beazer Homes notes in the application that it “will consider a contribution to the Housing Trust Fund.”

This appears to be Beazer Homes’ sixth development in Northern Virginia, though only its second in Fairfax County.

With the development in the permitting stage, it remains unclear when construction will start and might be completed. FFXnow reached out to Beazer Homes, but didn’t receive an answer prior to publication.

With its close proximity to the Metro station, that area of Franconia is set to see a lot of development and changes in the coming years.

Plans for a multi-million dollar expansion of the Inova HealthPlex on Walker Lane could be approved later this month. If it is, construction would potentially start in late 2023 and be completed in 2027.

Franconia is also slated to get a new 90,000-square-foot building that will house a government center, police station, and library. Construction was expected to begin this summer and be completed in 2024.

The medical campus would be located less than a mile from Devonshire, while the county government facility would be essentially across the street.

FRANCONIA, Va., April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- White Horse Auto Wash has done it again! The full-service car wash company announced the opening of its Franconia location, set to begin operations on Easter Monday. The Franconia White Horse Auto Wash will join our fast-growing company and become our seventh location in the State of Virginia. The Group plans to have at least ten Full Service carwashes operating by the end of 2022.

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White Horse Auto Wash galloped into the Car Wash Industry back in 2010 with the opening of their 1^st location in Warrenton, Virginia. Since the first wash opening, the ownership group led by Robert B Rust (a Virginia native son) have continued to grow by offering the best full service wash, while using the newest equipment, the best chemistry, while hiring and training the most customer centric associates.

Bob Rust and family are no strangers to the Northern Virginia community and culture. In fact, the company name, "White Horse Auto Wash" even has a local meaning behind it. The name originated from a fishing rock that bares the same name as the company and is located on the east side of the Shenandoah River. The story goes that when the water in the river rises and is rushing over the rock it looks like white horses in stride. The same goes for the company - when car counts rise at the washes and vehicles come rushing in, the teams handle the business and work together in stride.

As for the Franconia location, the company is looking forward to the success that stems from the community support and guests who have visited other White Horse locations. What sets White Horse Auto Wash apart from the typical car washes is not only the broad range of services offered such as details, interior cleans, waxes, or the state-of-the-art equipment and chemicals that every vehicle receives each wash, but the main separation factor comes from the people that White Horse employs. For an interior and exterior cleaning, guests can expect a 20 minute or less wait time with a "smile-guaranteed" send off at the end of the service.

White horse Franconia will offer a full-service unlimited plan for $49.99 and guests will be able to visit as many days in the month as they desire (between the hours of 8am and 7pm during the summer), to keep their car sparkling clean. For more information about services offered please visit www.whitehorseautowash.com.

"For me, the best part of a new site opening is getting to meet all the new guests that visit the site while getting to learn and become a part of the different communities. We are expecting big things from this location and have no doubt the team in Franconia will succeed those high expectations and compete to be the busiest site in the company," said District Manager, Garrett Giles. The General manger will be Mr. Tanner Ott who has been with White Horse for five years.

Media Contact:Dominic Lewinsohn334138@email4pr.com 435-901-1214

SOURCE White Horse Auto Wash