DCMud has the story on the long-awaited Long Bridge Park.
Arlington County will break ground in the new year on lighted athletic fields, more than a mile of walking trails, a public river overlook, and new rain garden among other amenities planned for the first phase of work on the 46-acre Long Bridge Park.
The first phase of development will include three full size, lighted athletic fields, trails, Esplanade (a broad, half-mile long, raised walkway), overlook, picnic areas, restrooms, and on-site parking for 180 vehicles. Additionally the county will begin improvements to Old Jefferson Davis Highway, which will change from being a simple two-lane road to include up to 100 spaces of on-street parking, two lanes, painted bike lanes and of course, fewer potholes.
According to Erik Beach, a Planner at the Arlington Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, the county will award the construction contract in December and hopes to have construction start shortly thereafter. Beach anticipated that the park would be open to the public approximately 18 months after construction begins.
More Here.
thank goodness for some happy news. this will take 10 minutes off my commute, and no more biking past the Gravelly Point portapotties.
Posted by: darren | October 09, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Great to hear this but 18 months? I wish they could build the esplanade/bike path first and open that sooner. They could install a temporary fence next to that while construction continued on the fields and the rest of the park. But that's just my idea.
And as a triathlete, I have a keen interest in the "state-of-the-art" aquatic facility that is also being planned for the park, but it looks like that won't be ready for a few years. A 50m year-round indoor pool is an awesome idea, but it's not of much use if it only exists on paper. :(
Posted by: Michael | October 10, 2009 at 12:26 AM