Blenheim Boulevard Is Two Construction Projects at Once. Here's What Stays Open This Winter.

Three separate public projects share the same stretch of Blenheim Boulevard. The City of Fairfax is running a $21.77 million rebuild of the road itself. Fairfax City and Fairfax County are jointly demolishing the old Joseph Willard Health Center to make room for a $127 million health and community center. A third job, a deck rehabilitation on the Blenheim bridge near Ridge Avenue, is still ahead.

Each one runs on its own schedule. Together they will turn this stretch into the city's main civic corridor. In the middle of it all, the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center at 3740 Blenheim Blvd. is open and has a busy November and December on its calendar.

Three Projects, Three Finish Lines

All of these dates are estimates and can change. The city says it is "actively coordinating timelines" across all three jobs to keep traffic moving. According to the city, planning for the road project alone took about two decades before Fort Myer Construction Corp. broke ground.

Driving and Riding the Road Rebuild

The road rebuild covers the most ground and has the biggest effect on daily trips. The city's project page and its FAQ describe how the work zone is supposed to behave:

1. Speed limit. New 25 mph signs went up the weekend of August 14, 2026, down from 30 mph. The limit goes back to 30 mph when the project is finished.
2. Work hours. Crews work in the roadway Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Work off the roadway can run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. If night or weekend work is needed, notices go up online and along the corridor ahead of time.
3. Lane shifts. Crews started on the south side, the Daniels Run side, laying new asphalt. Next they move to the north side for curb and gutter work, then return to the south side. Traffic moves to whichever side is not being worked on.
4. Staying open. The city expects the road to stay open the whole time. Expect periodic lane closures and temporary detours, mostly during off-peak hours, plus some sidewalk closures.
5. Driveways and side streets. Access to homes, side streets and businesses stays open. If a crew needs to block a driveway briefly, it will contact the owner first.
6. CUE buses. Buses keep running. Some stops may move a short distance for safety, so look for signs at your usual stop.

The first segment of work runs from the Daniels Run Elementary School entrance to Colony Road. In August, FFXnow reported that this stretch was expected to continue through November, with excavation, concrete, milling, paving and temporary lane markings. Single-lane closures in both directions use flaggers to alternate traffic. City officials told the outlet the finish date depends on the weather.

The bigger closures so far have been brief. On August 17 and 18, a crane removed trees near the entrance to Army-Navy Country Club. CUE stops between Lion Run and Fairfax Circle were out of service, and the Gold 1 and Gold 2 routes detoured onto Lion Run. That detour is over. It does show the pattern for any future full closure: notice ahead of time, a set end date, and CUE detours published in advance.

When the work is done, the road will still have one travel lane in each direction. It will also have:

• A two-way, 10-foot-wide cycle track on the north side
• Sidewalks 5 feet wide on both sides
• Two multimodal hubs with upgraded bus shelters, bikeshare stations and bike racks
• A roundabout at Ridge Avenue
• New left-turn lanes at Daniels Run Elementary, the Sherwood Center and Great Oaks Drive
• An outdoor classroom and community amphitheater outside Fairfax High School

The new left-turn lane at the Sherwood Center fits the larger plan. The road is being rebuilt for a much bigger public building than the one that stands there now.

The Building Coming Down Next to Sherwood

The Willard Health Center building dates to the 1950s and covers 30,000 square feet. Its replacement will be about three times as large. It will house a fitness center, a full-size gym, a track, classrooms, a youth area and a rooftop plaza, with parking in a two-level underground garage. It will also become the new home of the Young at Heart Senior Center, which now operates out of Green Acres Center. Parks Director Stacey Sommerfield told FFXnow the city is "so excited to bring all our services under one roof."

FFXnow's groundbreaking coverage lays out the expected construction phases:

• Utility relocation: September to December 2026
• Demolition of existing buildings: October to November 2026
• Mass excavation: winter 2026 to spring 2027
• Building the structure: summer 2027 to spring 2028
• Façade, roofing and interior work: winter 2028 to summer 2029
• Completion and move-in: fall 2029

By the time this post is published, the demolition phase is under way, with excavation to follow this winter. Fairfax County is paying $73.4 million of the construction cost and the city covers the rest. Grimm + Parker is the architect and The Christman Company is the general contractor.

"Meaningful projects like this take time."

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said that at the September 30 groundbreaking, as reported by FFXnow.

Pedestrians will feel this project longer than drivers will. The city closed the walking path between the Sherwood Center and the police station, which connects to the Layton Hall Apartments. The sidewalk beside the former health center on Layton Hall Drive is also closed. The city expects the construction zone to stay in place for about three years, through fall 2029, and its project page has a map of alternate walking routes. If that path is part of your regular walk to the schools, the city recommends allowing a little extra time.

Sherwood's Calendar Runs Through the Construction

FFXnow reported that operations at the Sherwood Center are not affected by the construction next door. The city's Cultural Arts calendar shows the building staying busy:

Before you head to iMusical on Friday, November 6, check the event listing. That listing puts the show at Sherwood's Performance Space. The series overview, however, says Sherwood was the venue for the October 16 performance only, and the series usually plays Old Town Hall at 3999 University Drive. The November 20 trio of Ben Bokor, Erin Snedecor and Elizabeth Hill, and the December 11 show by The Capital Hearings, are both listed at Old Town Hall.

For families with young children, the free Early Childhood Arts Program for ages 2 to 5 meets at Sherwood from September through December 2026. It moves to Old Town Hall from January through May 2027, and pre-registration is required.

The Craft Show at the Other End of the Corridor

The city's 40th Annual Holiday Craft Show takes place November 21 and 22 at Fairfax High School, 3501 Lion Run. The school sits at the same end of Blenheim where the finished road will add an outdoor classroom and amphitheater. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, with on-site parking both days.

On Saturday only, a free, accessible shuttle runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. between the school and WillowWood Plaza at 10300 Eaton Place. The city recommends it if the school lot fills up. The craft show falls on a weekend, outside the weekday 9-to-3 window when crews work in the roadway.

The Bridge Is Next

The bridge is the last piece and the least defined. City bid documents describe the Blenheim Boulevard bridge over Accotink Creek, also designated Route 6628, as a three-span, four-lane structure, 130 feet 9 inches long, built in 1976. The planned work includes a new reinforced-concrete deck, rebuilt sidewalks and median, new parapets and repairs underneath the deck. The work limits run from just north of Ridge Avenue to 0.1 mile south of Fairfax Circle. No start date or closure plan has been published. The city's Blenheim project page is where updated schedules are supposed to appear.

Private businesses are arriving on the same stretch. FFXnow reported that Happy Cat Hotel & Pet Spa Fairfax, at 3220 Blenheim Blvd., held its grand opening in August and began taking bookings from August 16. Nearby, at 3226 to 3250 Blenheim, developers have proposed a project called Circle Gateway. FFXnow reported that the proposal remains subject to rezoning, and council members raised concerns about its proposed 11-story height.

If all this construction has you thinking about how a stretch of Blenheim Boulevard could affect your home's value, or the timing of a future sale, the mother-and-daughter team at Live In The Dream follows these Fairfax City projects closely and can walk you through it. Work With Us. Get a Free Home Valuation.