Custis Trail Tunnel

There's a proposal before the Arlington County Board to build a 10-story, 43-unit residential building (for now called 1101 Lee Hwy) on the .61 acre site located east of North Lynn Street, between

the I-66 ramp and Martha Custis Bike and Pedestrian Trail to the south and the Key

Bridge/George Washington Memorial Parkway ramp to the north. The building would involve construction of a driveway across the Custis Trail. In order to mitigate the impact of the driveway on the trail, the building applicant has proposed modifying the intersection traffic lights to "signalize" the driveway.

But, in 2000, Rosslyn performed the Rosslyn Circle Crossing Study. It recommended that a tunnel be built under Lynn Street. The building is being scaled back considerably in height, density and access by the council and they've stated that the tunnel should be a part of it. The applicant's engineer did a preliminary study and determined that a tunnel with an alternative alignment would be possible but the suggested alignment has a curve that some feel might be dangerous.

At the December 2005 meeting they were still waiting on a response and deferred the subject to 2006. A bike/ped tunnel under Lynn would be a big improvement to a dangerous intersection.

Addendum: Please read the first comment to this post as it is very useful. I think I got some facts wrong. In my own defense they came from my own hazy memory and what I could glean from county council notes. If you can get through one page of those without falling asleep on your keyboard you are a better person than I.

Comments

[Keroicap]

"The building would involve construction of a driveway across the Custis Trail."

Not quite true. The driveway to the proposed building already exists and it exits onto North Lynn Street just north of the intersection with Lee Highway and the I-66 offramp, which means it crosses the sidewalk that leads to the south side of the Key Bridge.

The Custis Trail uses the east-west sidewalk along the north side of Lee Highway and the I-66 exit ramp. Unless there's a proposal to build a new driveway from the site to the SOUTH onto the I-66 exit ramp (which would never be approved by VDOT or anyone else) the project would not affect the integrity of the Custis Trail proper. Though it would be another hazard for cyclists going to the Key Bridge.

The site has an interesting history, as I understand it. It was seized by VDOT for I-66 construction back in the 1960s but never actually used. Eventually the former owner got it back through a lawsuit, and he's been trying to put a high-rise on it for several years now.

I seriously doubt that the County Board will ever approve a building on that site - Rosslyn Circle is complicated enough already without an active driveway there. Plus I think they want to put a boathouse on the site. The proposal has been deferred every time it's come up since 2001.

As for the trail tunnel, it's a nice idea, but I cycle through Rosslyn Circle twice a day and even I'm not sure it'd be worth the money. There must be more cost-effective possibilites, like a short pedestrian/cyclist-only light cycle.

[gwadzilla]

got you up on the BLOG
added your image the WASHCYCLE!