A Fairfax County stormwater project in McLean's Middle Tucker neighborhood has blown past its April completion date, leaving residents with collapsed road sections, broken utility lines, and exposed infrastructure they say has made their streets nearly undrivable.
The Tucker Avenue Neighborhood Stormwater Improvement Project was supposed to reduce flooding and protect Pimmit Run Stream. The county's Department of Public Works and Environmental Services expects to finish the work this fall, spokesperson Sharon North told the Fairfax Times. The DPWES capital projects page still lists April 2026 as the anticipated completion date.
Cathlin Bowman-Young, a Middle Tucker resident who has been documenting the construction problems, said she contacted Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay about the conditions. McKay redirected her to DPWES Director Christopher Herrington.
The project was triggered by what Bowman-Young called a once-in-100-years rain event. Before that flash flood, she and her husband, Steve Young, said the neighborhood's drainage functioned without problems.
"It has been a comedy of errors for multiple neighbors," Bowman-Young told the Fairfax Times.
Among the issues she cataloged: a section of Barbee Street that collapsed and was propped up with wood beams and tar; sewer and water caps jutting several inches above the road surface; storm drains that don't fit their openings; a neighbor's sewer line broken twice and the gas main struck twice during construction.
At the intersection of Tucker Avenue and Youngblood Street, residents reported blocked drains clogged with mud, silt, algae and trash. During a rainstorm, water shot out of a drain area at that intersection. Neighbors say that never happened before the project began.
Residents at the end of Tucker Avenue near the woods have lived with torn-up roads for roughly two years, according to Bowman-Young.
Herrington acknowledged the frustrations in an email, writing that construction impacts "have persisted longer than intended." He said the county has been coordinating with VDOT throughout design and construction.
North said the remaining work focuses on curb construction, roadway restoration, adjusting drainage structures to final grade, removing temporary erosion controls and restoring disturbed areas. The major underground work, including the storm drainage conveyance system, green infrastructure and gas, electric, broadband, water, and sanitary line relocations, is complete, according to DPWES.
The couple acknowledged that the county and its contractor did a commendable job of community outreach, continually updating the neighborhood with progress emails. Still, they said they feel powerless to push for faster results.
Residents who want to report non-emergency stormwater problems can call DPWES at 703-324-5800 (TTY 711) or email [email protected], Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
