After years of cones, detours and construction noise, Arlington leaders finally cut the ribbon on April 15 for a remade Columbia Pike. The most dramatic changes, though, are buried beneath the fresh pavement. Crews spent years swapping out aging water and sewer pipes, tucking overhead wires into new duct banks and rebuilding sidewalks so the corridor can better handle buses and people on foot. Residents and officials are calling it a foundational safety and infrastructure upgrade, even as they acknowledge the long construction slog took a real bite out of local businesses.
What’s underground and why it matters
At a Penrose Square ceremony on Wednesday, County Board Chair Matt di Ferranti stressed just how much of the overhaul is invisible, pointing to “significant work underground that is coordinating between Comcast, Verizon, Washington Gas and Dominion,” and saying that burying utilities strengthens electrical security for the corridor, as reported by WTOP. The same report quoted longtime neighbor Dave Bogdan, who said many small businesses closed during the years of construction. WTOP also referenced a roughly $200 million price tag that has been circulating in local coverage.
Completion, costs and remaining work
Arlington’s project page says the Columbia Pike Multimodal Street Improvements hit substantial completion in December 2025, with underground utility work wrapped up in spring 2025 and smaller follow-up tasks like landscaping, pole removals and quality control still on the checklist, as outlined by Arlington County. The county’s site puts the total cost of the corridor rebuild at roughly $161 million and notes that work moved in segments from the county line east to South Orme Street. Staff say final punch-list items will continue into the spring and early summer.
Local businesses and recovery
On paper, Columbia Pike looks solid, even if it has felt bumpy on the ground. A 2024 recap of the Columbia Pike “State of the Pike” forum by ARLnow reported that retail vacancy along the corridor sat at roughly 2% in early 2023, while county leaders acknowledged that construction had been a prolonged drag on foot traffic and sales. The Columbia Pike Partnership and Arlington Economic Development responded with outreach efforts, pop-up events and merchant resources during the work, according to materials from the Columbia Pike Partnership.
Transit upgrades and next steps
The visible payoff is starting to show up at street level in the form of upgraded bus stops and new amenities. Arlington’s Transit Stations project notes that nine stations were installed in 2023–24 and that the remaining stops are scheduled to be finished by spring 2026. The new platforms come with real-time arrival displays, higher curbs for accessible boarding, artwork by Spencer Finch and space for two buses to use a station at the same time, Arlington County says.
For residents who lived through years of digging and detours, the ribbon-cutting marks progress, not the finish line. Local resident Dave Bogdan told WTOP that “in some ways, I think it’s a regression in the sense that so many businesses went out of business during this time,” while County Board Chair Matt di Ferranti told the outlet the “future is bright, bright, bright for Columbia Pike.” County planners say the corridor is now better set up for new housing and small retail investment as the last pieces of construction fall into place.
