On Tuesday, Oct. 13, Historic Blenheim closed for the day so a contractor could come back with a crane and lay mats on the lawn to take down a southern red oak near the 1859 farmhouse. The tree had been due to come down on Oct. 2, but equipment problems pushed the work back. FFXnow reported that the city described advanced root rot, mushrooms feeding on buried roots, and a large vertical crack in the trunk. Last year was a bumper crop for acorns, and this oak barely produced any.
Out on Blenheim Boulevard, flaggers kept alternating traffic through a separate work zone. A short walk east, crews were tearing down the old Joseph Willard Health Center. Those are three different projects with three different contracts, and each one finishes in a different year. The November date that has been going around belongs to just one of them.
November Ends One Phase of the Road Work
The Blenheim Blvd Multimodal Improvements project began in early July. In August, FFXnow reported that the stretch between the Daniels Run Elementary entrance and Colony Road would see excavation, concrete work, milling, and paving through November, with single-lane closures in both directions. The city called that finish date weather-dependent.
That date covers one segment. On the City of Fairfax project page, the FAQ says construction would begin on or after July 6, 2026, and "will last approximately two years." That puts the end of the full corridor work around 2028. The city says it will post updated schedules on the page as work moves along.
That changes how to treat the 25 mph signs that went up along Blenheim the weekend of Aug. 14. The city lowered the limit from 30 mph as part of the approved construction plan. It goes back to 30 only when the whole project is done, so it won't revert when the current phase wraps up. The city also asks drivers to expect traffic patterns that "may look different from one day to the next." For alerts as segments change, text BBLVD to 844-543-4554.
Three Projects, Three Finish Lines
| Project | Where | What's happening now | Expected finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Blenheim invasive management | 3610 Blenheim Blvd | Forestry mulching ran Sept. 28 to Oct. 2; contractor returned Oct. 13 for the oak | Tree planting expected in 2027 |
| Blenheim Blvd Multimodal Improvements | Layton Hall Dr to Ridge Ave | Lane closures and flagging; one phase forecast through November | About two years from July 2026 |
| Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center | 3740 Blenheim Blvd and the former Willard site | Demolition after Sept. 30 kickoff | Fall 2029 |
The dates are spread out on purpose. Each project runs under its own contract, and they share a road. A resident on this corridor will drive, walk, and bus through some version of a work zone well past the end of this year.
The Sherwood Center Is Open, but One Shortcut Is Closed Until 2029
According to FFXnow's Oct. 1 report, demolition was underway after the Sept. 30 construction kickoff, and operations at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center next door were not affected. When it's done, the new 100,000-square-foot facility will serve city and county residents, replace the Joseph Willard Health Center, and add a preschool program to the community center.
The walking network has already changed. The city closed the path between the Sherwood Center and the police station that leads to the Layton Hall Apartments. It also closed the sidewalk beside the former Willard Health Center on Layton Hall Drive. Both stay closed for the construction period, which the city expects to last through fall 2029. The Willard-Sherwood project page has a map of alternate routes, and the city suggests allowing extra travel time.
The road project and the community center project have different end dates. That means the sidewalks on Blenheim itself could reopen in their finished form while the Layton Hall shortcut stays closed for another year or more.
Historic Blenheim Lost an Oak and Its Woods Got Cleared
Of the three projects, the one at Historic Blenheim is the farthest along, and you can already see the results. The site covers nearly 12 acres. Bush honeysuckle and Asiatic bittersweet had spread through its wooded areas. In June and July, the city brought in a dozen goats from Nostra Farm to graze about 3.5 acres. The goats cleared dense brush and made the forest understory easier to get into. Forestry mulching then removed the remaining invasive woody plants.
Next come targeted herbicide treatments and native plantings, which the city says will help the forest regrow on its own and keep the invasives from returning. Tree planting is expected in 2027.
The oak was planted within the last hundred years. City staff pruned it and cared for it for decades. FFXnow reported the city's warning that falling branches or a collapse could threaten "visitors, the historic house, and the irreplaceable artifacts within the house." The city says the stump will be ground down to the level of the lawn and seeded with grass, and a new northern red oak will be planted nearby.
Those artifacts are what the oak was threatening. The farmhouse, built around 1859, is known for the graffiti Union soldiers left on its walls during the Civil War. The site also has a Civil War Interpretive Center and the cemetery of the Willcoxon family, the estate's original owners.
What the Finished Road Will Add, and What Isn't Settled
According to the city's FAQ, Blenheim keeps one travel lane in each direction and gains:
- A 10-foot-wide, two-way cycle track on the north side
- 5-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides
- Two multimodal hubs with upgraded bus shelters, bikeshare stations, and bike racks
- A new 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
- Pedestrian-scale lighting and landscaping
The city says planning and public engagement for the corridor have gone on for about two decades. Fort Myer Construction Corp. holds the $21.77 million contract.
The city hasn't said which trails the new cycle track will connect to. A separate city trail page says the formerly proposed George Snyder Trail Extension is being reconsidered after the George Snyder Trail project was canceled. For now, the cycle track's endpoints are Layton Hall Drive and Ridge Avenue, and links beyond those points aren't settled.
The east end of the corridor may change too. In a Sept. 11 FFXnow report, City Council previewed Circle Gateway at 3226 to 3250 Blenheim Blvd, a proposal for up to 261 homes and 16,530 square feet of retail. Council members raised concerns about the 11-story plan's height, green space, affordability, and environmental commitments. It is still a proposal and has not been approved.
The Fall Calendar at 3610 Blenheim
The grounds are open again after the one-day closure, and the fall programs are still scheduled. Grounds are open dawn to dusk. The interpretive center is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Free guided farmhouse tours start at 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
These dates are listed on the city's Historic Blenheim page:
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 2 to 4:30 p.m. "Play Ball! A Historic Baseball Experience." Ages 6 and up can play. Registration is required.
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 to 11:30 a.m. "A History Mystery," for ages 10 to 14. Registration opened at noon on Oct. 17.
- Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m. "Civil War Survival Skills." Registration is required, and registered participants must come with an adult.
- Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 to 11:30 a.m. "Cooking Through History: A Taste of Sri Lanka." Registration is required.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, noon to 3 p.m. "A Historic Holiday at Blenheim." Free, no registration needed.
Two nearby events fall on the same weekends. The Old Town Fairfax Business Association calendar lists Haunting for Candy, a free event at Old Town Square, 10415 North Street, on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. It also lists the 40th Annual Holiday Craft Show at Fairfax High School, 3501 Lion Run, on Nov. 21 and 22, the same Saturday as the Sri Lanka cooking program.
For the Nov. 21 morning, plan on the 25 mph limit and possible flagging along Blenheim. Historic Blenheim's parking lot is free and on site.
If you own a home near Blenheim Boulevard and want to know how a road project lasting years, and a community center opening in 2029, might affect when you sell or buy, Dave Moya and the TSR Homes team can go over the corridor with you block by block. Hire Us.
