Arizona Ave Trestle work to repair truck damage; CCT could be resurfaced

 From the Palisades Citizens Association newsletter ("Palisades News") sent out this week:

About a year ago. the Capital Crescent Trails Historic Arizona Avenue Train Trestle was struck by a truck with an extraordinarily tall load that damaged the underside of the bridge. After months of efforts with the culprit company, its representatives, and the completion of necessary planning, repair work was set to begin in late March, according to Daniel Copenhaver, Chief of Preservation and Project Management Division (NTS) of the C&O Canal Historic Park. In a recent email, Copenhaver reported that " the expected completion date is the first part of June." The Federal Highway Administration, which has jurisdiction over the safety of the train trestle, will be managing the repair effort. The Park Service has reported that a temporary bridge will be constructed alongside the trestle to accommodate CCT traffic, and has promised that, except for two periods at the beginning and end of the project, when the concrete deck of the trestle is removed and again when it is replaced, CCT traffic will not be significantly affected.

In  other news about the CCT, Kevin Brandt, the Superintendent of the C&O Canal Historic Park, which has "ownership" of the DC portion of the Capital Crescent Trail, and DDOT  (DC Department of Transportation) are working on a partnership/memorandum of understanding to provide cooperation on semi-annual maintenance of the Trail, as well as a possible resurfacing project. The Superintendent shares a desire to have the CCT resurfaced as soon as possible. The DC Mayor's Recreational Trail Advisory Committee (RTAC)  has asked DDOT Director Terry Bellamy to allocate up to $1.5 million of DC's federal recreational trails' monies to be used   for the resurfacing effort. Plans and specifications will be developed by the NPS Denver Service Center to resurface the trail which has not been touched since it was completed in the mid-1990s. Last year the RTAC allocated about $50,000 of DC's Rec Trails funds for the purchase of a ToolKat 5600, a machine to be used for mowing. sweeping, and pruning along all of the trails in Washington, DC. That machine should be put to use for the first time on the CCT later this year.

Comments

[JeffB]

Last year the RTAC allocated about $50,000 of DC's Rec Trails funds for the purchase of a ToolKat 5600, a machine to be used for mowing. sweeping, and pruning along all of the trails in Washington, DC

I wonder if trail maintenance extends to plowing the occasional snowfall?

[Wayne Phyillaier]

The NPS has been very good about plowing snow on their DC section of the trail, and hopefully that practive will continue under this proposed agreement with DCDOT.

But the section of the CCT in Montgomery County is not plowed. We need to ping on the Mont. Co. Parks Department to get action there.

[you there]

Just because the CCT is considered for a repave doesnt mean it will happen...come on people -- it's not like we live in a meaningful democracy...

[Lyon]

Anyone know when Rock Creek's path will get repaved? That thing is nearly as bad as an unpaved path for large parts of it.

[contrarian]

The NPS has been very good about plowing snow on their DC section of the trail, and hopefully that practive will continue under this proposed agreement with DCDOT.

But the section of the CCT in Montgomery County is not plowed. We need to ping on the Mont. Co. Parks Department to get action there.

It's no coincidence that the part of the trail that is plowed is maintained by a Department of Transportation, and the part that isn't by a Parks Department.

What we really need is for Montgomery County to start viewing bicycles as transportation.

[Wayne Phyillaier]

@contrarian - "It's no coincidence that the part of the trail that is plowed is maintained by a Department of Transportation, and the part that isn't by a Parks Department."

I must be contrary to contrarian - the NPS has been plowing the section in DC, and NPS is National Park Service. So a Parks agency can plow trails.

But I won't argue the point that Montgomery County needs to start viewing bicycles as transportation.

[Mike]

Plans and specifications will be developed by the NPS Denver Service Center to resurface the trail which has not been touched since it was completed in the mid-1990s.

Hah! In Virginia we haven't repaved the fairfax county parkway trail or other major paths since the 80s. Though we do sometimes just close them for years at a time.

[Kathy]

I think the 15th St cycletrack or the Rock Creek Park trail would be far better candidates for repaving.