Arlnow reports that the trail was moved to save some mature trees.
The trail is expected to cost about $1.7 million, according to county Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Shannon Whalen McDaniel, but it has not been put out to bid yet. The trail has been approved and in planning stages for years, but its initial path would have necessitated digging up hundreds of mature trees.
This Saturday, the Arlington County Board is likely to approve a realignment of the trail to put it closer to Towers Park and S. Rolfe Street, north of Columbia Pike. If approved, the county would pay $8,000 to the federal government to acquire the easement for the trail. The trail will then be put out to bid. Construction is expected to begin next year and end by summer 2015.
Here are images of phase I under work back in 2009.
The anti-trail folks showed up in force at the board meeting. The board approved the easement, but sounded very wishy-washy on whether they would actually approve the construction contract to build the trail. The bike community is probably going to have to come out strong in support of the trail when it goes to a construction vote.
Posted by: Chris Slatt | September 24, 2014 at 03:16 PM
Thanks for the report, Chris. Bicycle program staff and/or Arlington BAC members need to track this project closely to help effectively neutralize the opposition.
Posted by: Allen Muchnick | September 24, 2014 at 09:41 PM