Flood waters from Tropical Storm Lee have transformed parts of Fairfax County roadways into craters. Water over ten feet deep has long since ebbed from main streets, but gone too are massive chunks of roadway and several area bridges, still affecting traffic today.
The cost to clean up and rebuild infrastructure around Fairfax County could reach an eye-popping $10 million, Virginia's Department of Transportation says.
VDOT spokesperson Garret Moore said that's an initial estimate of the damage to the county. "We could even see more pavement and slope failures in the coming days.
Three bridges in the county were totally destroyed and need to be replaced. Temporary bridges will be put in for the short term, with plans for permanent fixes still in the works. The three destroyed bridges:
-Lorton Road over Giles Run will be temporarily replaced within two months. The posted detour route will be a little more than eight miles long. This road carries about 6,000 vehicles a day.
- Beach Mill Road over Nichols Branch will be temporarily replaced within six weeks. Beach Mill Road carries about 1,700 vehicles a day. The posted detour will be approximately six miles long.
- Towlston Road will be temporarily replaced within six weeks. This road carries about 350 vehicles a day, and the posted detour will be approximately two and a half miles long.
As of 7 a.m. Monday, several roads in Fairfax County were still closed due to flooding. They are:
- Sunrise Valley Drive between Glade Drive and Mercator Drive
- Moverly Court at Cameo Square
- Essex Avenue at Middlesex Avenue
- Georgetown Pike at Dominion at Old Dominion Drive
- Colvin Run Rd. at Walker Mill
Fast moving floodwaters carried three county residents away to their deaths last week. The effects of Tropical Storm Lee were exacerbated because pressure from Hurricane Katia kept it hovering in the area.
