Two major themes shone through the late-morning fog along East Laburnum Avenue on Wednesday: teamwork and resiliency.
Henrico County officials came together to break ground on two major projects in the Fairfield District. The Richmond-Henrico Turnpike Improvements project will widen the turnpike and add pedestrian infrastructure for safer travel for all users. The Eastern Henrico Transmission Line project will lay the first section of a 13-mile water main as construction gets underway on the road project.
The coordination of the two projects by the departments of Public Works and Public Utilities will reduce the impact on residents, said Board of Supervisors Chair Roscoe D. Cooper III, of Fairfield.
“That kind of coordination is exactly what we want to see from our county departments: working together, looking ahead and finding practical ways to serve our residents better,” Cooper said. “That is smart planning, responsible use of public resources and the kind of teamwork we want to see across county government.”
Both projects were designed to add a layer of resiliency to the county’s infrastructure. On the turnpike between East Laburnum and Hummingbird Road, in addition to widening for traffic, the project will add box culverts to reduce wear and tear on the road and the impact of storms. With a sidewalk and a lit shared-use path, pedestrians will be able to access nearby businesses, schools and other destinations safely.
The new transmission line will ensure the county’s ability to serve all water customers from its Water Treatment Facility on Three Chopt Road in case the need arises, as it did in January 2025. When the city of Richmond’s Water Treatment Plant experienced a mechanical failure, customers in Henrico’s eastern area lost water service for days. Those areas are served primarily by the city’s system. As designed over decades, the county’s existing infrastructure is insufficient to serve eastern Henrico from the Water Treatment Facility in far western Henrico.
That needed to change, Varina District Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson said.
“The Eastern Henrico Transmission Line is the result of our Board of Supervisors, county leadership, Public Utilities staff and residents coming together around a shared understanding: Eastern Henrico needs a more resilient water system, and we cannot afford to wait,” Nelson said. “And today, that change begins.”
Since the water crisis, Henrico contracted a local firm to perform an audit and investigation of the county’s water system and recommend improvements. The Board approved a course of action in September 2025 and awarded a design contract in December. The full design is expected to be completed in 2027.
“We cannot change what happened in 2025. But we can learn from it, act on those lessons and build a stronger system for the future,” Nelson said at today’s groundbreaking.
The first roughly 1-mile section of line will be completed with the turnpike project in 2028. The rest of the line is still in design. Construction of the remaining sections is anticipated to begin in 2028, with the line expected to be completed and in service by 2031.
“Ultimately, these projects are about planning for the long term,” Cooper said. “They are about meeting the needs of our growing community, learning from past challenges and making investments that will serve Henrico for decades to come.”
Residents can sign up for updates on the Eastern Henrico Transmission Line project on the project webpage.
