Storm Damage

I was thinking we'd gotten away with only minor damage like silt deposits and mudslides, but it appears a bridge on the W&OD trail has been damaged enough to be closed pending repairs.

Fairfax Station, VA (June 26, 2006) – The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority closed a section of the W&OD Trail (Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park) today due to significant damage to the bridge over Piney Branch between Hunter Mill Road and the Town of Vienna.As a result of the flood conditions over the last 24 hours, the stone embankment that supports this bridge has been significantly eroded and has lost much of the stone work that held it in place. This stone work was part of the original railroad construction in the 1850s. The Regional Park Authority has closed the bridge until the bridge embankment can be rebuilt.“We are already working with engineers to assess the damage and repair the bridge as soon as possible. Until it can be repaired, it is vital that pedestrians and cyclist not use this crossing,” stated Paul Gilbert, Executive Director of NVRPA.

Addendum: And from the W&OD site

A detour will be put in place after the rains cease, but apparently a few weeks will be needed to arrange this temporary installation. While plans to repair/replace the stonework are already being made, complete restoration of the bridge (and elimination of the detour) will clearly take several months.

More trail conditions are in the comments of this post and at WABA's website.

Comments

[Chris]

For what it's worth, somebody posted these alternative directions on the USCF District 20 listserv. I've done portions of it, which are indeed hilly, though do-able.

This is what I rode today on my way home:

From Vienna side . . .

Up Clarks Crossing (where the soccer fields are)
Left on Beulah
Follow over the Toll Rd and down the hill
Left on Browns Mill Rd
Left on Crowell Rd
Left on Hunter Mill Rd
Right on Sunset Hills Rd just before the Toll Rd

Gets you back to the trail in Reston.

Also not recommended for most people (hilly, not much room for traffic to get around you).

[Kevin]

The Northwest Branch trail between Ager rd and Piney Branch has been heavily damaged. At least 3 bridges have been closed pending inspection/repair. Large sections of trail have been destroyed completely, and almost all of the trail is covered in sand and mud. Several trees have been downed across the trail as well. The railing underneath Riggs Rd fell over as well. The parks service in both Montgomery and PG counties have closed most of this stretch of trail, and most hazards have been marked with caution tape, so it appears they know about it all. In addition to trail damage, there also appears to be heavy erosion damage in the creek bed as well. We may not see this trail completely rehabbed for a long, long time.

[Michael Plakus]

It would appear the NE Branch and Paint Branch Trails fared fairly well then. I don't know about the NE Branch south of Riverdale Rd but to the north there was only one area of mud deposits and that was cleared yesterday. Paint Branch is a bit dicier though...Where it passes beneath the Green Line is still in about a foot of water (water to the top of my shoes when the pedal was at the bottom of the stroke) and there is truly nasty mud beneath the US 1 underpass. In addition there are two trees down and I haven't had a chance to check the trail north of the golf course (which is closed due to flooding).