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Vienna is beginning construction on a stormwater culvert project more than a decade after town officials first pursued the upgrade, bringing extended lane closures to Nutley Street near Marshall Road SW.

The work, delayed an additional day by Sunday’s snowfall, will proceed in five phases over nearly a year. During the first phase, crews will temporarily remove the street’s center median, closing one northbound lane on Nutley Street SW. That phase is expected to continue through March.

Construction will generally take place on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but lane closures will remain in effect outside working hours and throughout the project. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes.

The existing underground culvert was installed in 1962. Town officials say it is undersized for current stormwater runoff, which has increased substantially as Vienna has developed over the past half-century.

The town began considering a replacement after hiring a consultant for a drainage study in June 2012. A design contract followed in November 2013, and plans were approaching completion in March 2016 when the Vienna Town Council approved additional funding for further engineering analysis.

Officials initially expected construction to begin that summer. The project was instead placed on hold after contractors’ bids exceeded the available funding.

Vienna revived the effort in 2024 using some of the more than $17 million it received through the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and 2022. Those federal recovery funds also supported police body cameras, cybersecurity improvements and other capital projects.

The culvert design was completed in October 2024, and the Town Council awarded FLB Contractors a $1.6 million construction contract.

The replacement will consist of two culverts, each measuring 10 feet by 6 feet. Completion is projected for January 2027.

Vienna Deputy Public Works Director Alan Chen said the project will modernize the town’s stormwater infrastructure and lower long-term flood risk in southwest Vienna by better channeling runoff tied to past and future development.