Underground Utilities

One of the core components of scenic and infrastructure improvements for the Community Business Center (CBC) is the undergrounding of utility lines, particularly along Chain Bridge Road and Old Dominion Boulevard.

Citizens groups, landowners and businesses have identified the removal of the unsightly overhead lines as an important element of the CBC revitalization process, both from the viewpoint of improving the physical character of the CBC and improving reliability of service.

While the effort will necessarily be a long-term process and involves several different phases, the MRC has been working with the Supervisor's office and the County to begin the first phase of the project, which will encompass the area along Chain Bridge Road from Corner Lane (by the Sunoco station) to Laughlin Ave (at the corner with Chicken Out and Chevy Chase Bank) and extending along Old Dominion from the Shell (formerly Crown) station to approximately Center Street (behind the PNC Bank). This phase of the project will tie in with the undergrounding along Whittier Ave and Emerson that was undertaken as part of the Palladium project.

The project will be funded principally from existing bond funds and the proceeds of a proffer that was part of the Exxon redevelopment project. The various utility companies and the County have recently finalized engineering studies identifying the locations of the duct banks and associated above-ground equipment. With those studies, MRC representatives are in the process of contacting owners of the properties along the proposed route to discuss the project and to begin the process of coordinating the easements necessary for the project.