Photo: Environmental Quality Services The living shoreline restoration project on Simonson Road in Farnham, near the public Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources boat landing and parking area, is the only one of its kind in the Northern Neck in VDOT’s naturebased solutions initiative, according to Kelly Hannon, communications manager for VDOT’s Fredericksburg District.

The Simonson Road project aims to provide a long-term solution to reducing the frequent road flooding and maintenance costs associated with debris cleanup and pavement deterioration.

VDOT is exploring how natural and naturebased solutions can help protect roads, bridges, and culverts that are vulnerable to flooding. After partnering with the Virginia Transportation Research Council on a study, the partners identified potential locations for a pilot initiative, including Simonson Road.

In addition to offering public water access, Simonson Road carries around 210 vehicles per day and lies entirely within the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 100-year floodplain. The area is especially vulnerable to frequent flooding that, combined with powerful waves and tidal forces, has severely eroded the shoreline and right-of-way along the road.

These powerful erosive forces, combined with rising sea levels, made protecting the road especially challenging, said Hannon.

Before this project, VDOT crews installed riprap and steel mesh baskets filled with stone along the Morattico Creek shoreline to slow erosion and protect Simonson Road from deterioration.

Preliminary work on the restoration project began in 2023, and construction started in 2025 led by VDOT and contractors Stantec and Environmental Quality Resources.

Natural and nature-based solutions are techniques that mimic the characteristics of natural features but are created through human design, engineering, and construction, Hannon explained.

The design for this location focused on addressing erosion around the road, mitigating shoreline erosion from wind and wave action, and restoring the natural marsh.

Elements, such as two breakwaters and two nearshore reefs, were built to dissipate waves before they reach the shoreline, reducing their strength and ability to cause erosion. A manmade marsh and vegetation were added along the creek to also help reduce wave-driven erosion.

The plantings provide native habitat for both water-based and land-based species to flourish, Hannon noted. Oyster shells were used to cover the tops of the nearshore reefs to promote wildlife growth within the project. Because oyster colonies build vertically over time to adapt to rising sea levels, these features will help maintain the long-term integrity and resilience of the reefs, shoreline, and roadway.

Environmental Quality Resources said it loves incorporating oyster shells into shoreline projects.

The project reached substantial completion last fall, with additional marsh plantings planned for spring 2026.