Potomac Riverwatch: Fall 2026
NEWS
September Rainfall Reduces Drought Threat
Following heavy regional rainfall in late September, the National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook and a coastal flood watch for the Alexandria waterfront shoreline and many other sites in the Potomac basin. In Alexandria, river water was anticipated to breach the curbs near the high-traffic intersections of King Street and Strand Street during high tides. The "Nor'easter" storm was expected to reduce the threat of drought throughout the Potomac Basin.
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The New Long Bridge
Over the summer, active foundation work officially kicked off for the multi-billion-dollar Long Bridge Project, which is building brand new rail and pedestrian/bicycle bridges over the Potomac River. Crews completed initial test pile programs and have begun transitioning pedestrian traffic on the adjacent Mount Vernon Trail. The trail needed to be rerouted around the construction site near Gravelly Point.
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Potomac River Tunnel Moves Forward
Progress is moving forward 100 feet underground on the massive DC Water Potomac River Tunnel Project. A specialized tunnel boring machine named "Mary" has already excavated past the 760-foot mark, heading north toward Georgetown. When completed in 2030, this 5.5-mile deep-sewer tunnel system is engineered to reduce combined toxic stormwater overflows into the river by 93%.
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