Environmental Services
Street, Sidewalk and Curb Maintenance
Asphalt Maintenance
Asphalt maintenance is provided by a comprehensive preventive maintenance and repair program for County streets, including slurry seal operations. The primary objective of this maintenance program is to preserve the asphalt base and maintain surfaces to extend their useful life. This program repairs potholes, seals cracks, replaces damaged roadway sections and performs spot repairs in advance of slurry and bituminous concrete overlay projects.
To Report a Pothole
- Report Potholes Online >>
- Call (703) 228-6570
Concrete Curb and Gutter, Sidewalks, and Driveway Apron Maintenance
Arlington County conducts routine surveys of the concrete facilities in the public right-of-way (ROW) and replaces deficient sidewalk, curb, gutter, and handicap ramps as necessary. Concrete maintenance in residential areas is performed by the County at no cost to the adjacent property owners. Concrete maintenance in high-density areas is assessed against the adjacent property owners. The designation of high-density areas is according to the property zoning classification. View a map of the high-density concrete maintenance zones (PDF) >>
- Report a Concrete Maintenance Problem Online >>
- Call (703) 228-6570
Sidewalks
Arlington County will replace sections of sidewalk that are displaced by greater than ½”, have cracks in excess of ½” wide, have severely spalled (deteriorated surface) concrete, or otherwise present a tripping hazard. In areas with large mature trees, the roots will often times heave the sidewalk and create tripping hazards. In instances where tree roots are affecting the concrete sidewalk, Arlington County will replace the concrete sidewalk with asphalt or provide an asphalt transition. Asphalt is a more flexible material that will “grow” with the tree roots, whereas concrete is a brittle material which cracks if displaced and requires frequent replacement.
Curb & Gutter
The County will replace failed sections of concrete curb and gutter. Failure is considered severe delamination or spalling, and settlement or cracking resulting in drainage problems.
Curb Cut Ramps
Curb cut ramps will be replaced by the County when they have failed. The new style of handicap ramps include a textured and off-colored pad to assist visually impaired citizens in navigating the County.
Residential Driveway Aprons
Driveway aprons are considered to be private appurtenances located in the public right-of-way, and property owners are therefore required to pay for replacement of the apron. County crews will replace existing driveway aprons up to 10 feet in width for $750 (and $75 per foot of width over 10 feet).
If you wish to have your driveway replaced, please contact Nestor Sol at (703) 228-6554 for a site visit and fill out the Driveway Apron Replacement Form (PDF).
Brick Pavers
Brick pavers are typically associated with the High Density Concrete Maintenance Program, which assesses the cost of repairs over $500 against the adjacent properties. Brick paver maintenance problems should be reported to the County to schedule repairs by calling (703) 228-6570 or using the concrete maintenance form.
Streets Without Curb, Gutter, or Sidewalk
Arlington County offers several options for residents to have sidewalks constructed in their neighborhoods. These vary in terms of timing of projects, eligibility and neighborhood participation. There is no cost for new concrete sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements on any new or existing project not completed. There is also no cost for replacing existing sidewalks, curbs and gutters, new streetlights installation, and for necessary restoration work within residential districts.
Option 1: Neighborhood Conservation Program
Citizens who wish to have concrete curb, gutter, or sidewalks installed on their block are encouraged to work with the Neighborhood Conservation Program. Neighborhood Conservation is a community based program for comprehensive block improvements funded by the County Board and administered by the Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development (CPHD) Neighborhood Services Division. Neighborhood Conservation projects can include curb and gutter, sidewalks, streetlights, and other neighborhood improvements. The residents do not pay for the cost of sidewalk construction. To qualify, a neighborhood must be within an approved Neighborhood Conservation area and 60 percent of affected property owners must sign a petition requesting the improvement. This entire process usually takes about two to three years. Visit the Neighborhood Conservation Program website >>
Option 2: County-Initiated Sidewalk Construction
This program covers major thoroughfares, commercial, and "collector streets" – main routes that feed into major thoroughfares. There are no petitions required to qualify a project. This process usually takes at least one year to complete. The County also has a "Safe Routes to Schools" Program which constructs sidewalks along important routes within 1/4 mile of a school. No petition is required to qualify a project and the project usually takes about one to two years to complete.
County Staff are available to explain the various programs to neighbors in a block meeting. For more information, please contact Christine Nixon with:
- Your name
- Address
- Daytime phone
- Description of the limits of the proposed sidewalk area (Example:"4600 block of X Street, from A street to B street")
