The east side Anacostia Riverwalk Trail's bridge over the CSX train tracks (aka "Osprey Bridge") is open. According to a cyclist I saw when I was there last night, it's been open for a week. It's not finished - there are still some barrels and construction fencing up, but not across the entry points to the trail. This means there is now a continuous trail from Benning Road to Firth Sterling Road. You could make that trip before the bridge, but not without trespassing on CSX property - and the bridge is probably faster anyway.
Plus, the bridge is very nice. On the south side you get a great view of the Circle Fort Hills in Anacostia and on the north you get to ride up through the tree canopy. And because it's at more of a right angle to the railroad tracks, it's easier to watch trains than the Wetlands Bridge on the other side of the river is. There the bridge is at an angle such that the fencing makes look at the trains a little frustrating.
Where the trail from the bridge meets the NPS access road north of the tracks there is a nice little intersection with a short bike lane to let bikes and cars know which way to go. I didn't have my camera with me, so I have no photos but here is one of construction from DDOT.
Awesome - might check this out on my commute home today.
Posted by: Roy | April 26, 2013 at 08:02 AM
The access road to the north should only be open to maintenance vehicles, I imagine?
Posted by: Purple Eagle | April 26, 2013 at 08:16 AM
I think CSX vehicles can use it, but yeah not much traffic.
Posted by: washcycle | April 26, 2013 at 08:37 AM
Where can I find a map of this part of the trail system?
I'm having a hard time visualizing where these trails are open.
Posted by: Bear | April 26, 2013 at 11:45 AM
This is the part labelled "11" East of the River
Posted by: washcycle | April 26, 2013 at 12:01 PM
There are maps here and here.
Posted by: Purple Eagle | April 26, 2013 at 01:01 PM
Thanks for the tip. I rode over the bridge this morning, and it was great. The birds were quite chatty, and it looks like the ospreys may be building a new nest on one of the pilings underneath the Douglass Bridge. What a great ride.
Have you heard any news on the Kenilworth section? I saw some workers putting down plywood under the Benning Bridge, which I assume will be part of a ramp that people will use to jump over the unbuilt parts of the trail Evel Knievel-style
Posted by: todd | April 26, 2013 at 03:04 PM
I tried it out this afternoon, a lovely ride. Used the Wetlands bridge too -- the beavers were out on Kingman Island, springtime all around.
It's still a mess on the downtown side of the 11th St bridge though. The gate was open at the end of the Navy promenade, so you could sneak through the construction zone, but to get back onto the trail, I had to ride up to M St and then travel in the main traffic lanes through the bridge intersections.
Posted by: Shalom | April 26, 2013 at 03:42 PM
I had a chance to ride over the bridge this morning. The trail north of the bridge up to East Capital Street has been freshly paved and a bright yellow stripe has been painted down the center of the path indicating that it is a bike/trail path and not just a service road for CSX vehicles. The bridge itself is great and I'm glad it's finished even though there were times during it's lengthy and problem plagued construction I thought it would never be finished.
Posted by: Dan | April 27, 2013 at 03:44 PM
Hurrah! Finally!!! I have been watching this thing go up since the beginning. Just rode over it today.
In a week when my good friend was knocked off her bike by a car on East Capitol, this one is a win for bicycles. (Friend is ok, sore and shaken up)
Posted by: Mark | April 28, 2013 at 07:40 PM