Bles Park To Close For 3 Weeks Ahead Of Improvement Project

ASHBURN, VA — As Loudoun County prepares for construction of its Bles Park improvement project, a three-week closure of the park begins Tuesday.

The Ashburn park bordered by the Potomac River and Broad Run is set to receive upgrades and new features when construction begins in summer 2024. According to the county, the improvement project will provide parking for existing sports fields and add pavilions, a canoe and kayak launch and multi-generation playgrounds. The 132-acre park currently has four sports fields, trails wetlands and natural areas, a playground, Eastern Loudoun Adult Day Center and space for limited parking.

The project has been in the design phase, and the next step is the selection of a contractor for construction. Construction is expected to last from summer 2024 until substantial completion in summer 2025.

Before the construction begins later this year, the park will close for three weeks due to tree clearing and maintenance activities. The closure from Tuesday, Feb. 27 to Friday, March 15 will include fields, trails and the playground. Work is weather permitting.

Bles Park is part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Last week, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved the county purchase of the 90-acre Askegren property, which will fill a missing link of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail between Bles Park, the Countryside Property's Horsepen Run Nature Preserve and Algonkian Regional Park. The future park could have potential uses like a kayak launch site and walking trails, Algonkian District Supervisor Juli Briskman said in a newsletter.