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I rode it Friday due to the WW Bridge closure. There are signs saying to dismount, but it is cyclocross season, so.....

The detours just show that this isn't the park service's strength, as with their extended repavings of roads that a DOT would knock off in a quarter of the time. But the improvements look to be very nice, despite the fact that I always did kinda enjoy the S-turn by the oak tree.

I'm glad they're getting rid of that S curve around the tree - while out running over the years I've had to help 2-3 cyclists who've wiped out at that spot.

It's the mountain biker in me what enjoys it, but even so, I did clip the pavement with a pedal once. If you consider the thousands of trips through there every week and the increasing probability of accidents that causes, yeah, that S-turn needed to go.

I've seen more accidents just south of there on the curve that goes down to the Four Mile Run Trail. If that could be widened and have the curve eased, that would help.

The mulch detours are pretty horrid however the sidewalk detour from the area of the S-Curve to cross the road leading into the airport is worse.

Southbound detour I really like (posted by someone else) -- make a left off the MVT at the sign pointing to the airport. Do not follow the trail into the tunnel under the roadway, but instead head straight into the service/facilities area and follow the service road up a small hill to where it intersects with a "car road." Get in the left lane at the first light. Proceed to your left with some slow moving car traffic. Follow either one of these roads back to the trail. One spills out onto the detour ramp. Another will take you next to another trail entry point.

It's commendable that the NPS decided to remove the un-used ramp.

It would have been easier and cheaper to just leave it in place.

You can do the southbound detour in reverse for northbound too. The only trick to it is going to the second crosswalk and taking it over a few lanes to get onto NB Aviation Circle (very little traffic headed that direction). The SB one you mentioned is surprisingly easy and very pleasant re-entry.

Overall, I'm glad they're getting rid of the S-Tree. But the rest of it doesn't seem all that necessary to me. The other thing they could do that would help is make the NB GWMP entry from airport crossing a u-shape curb cut instead of the current more v-like (i've seen a few accidents at it) or make the v version more 3d so it came partially into roadway rather than the straight vertical cut running parallel with the roadway. Of course I don't think this is part of the change.

The premise for the change was riding in proximity to the roadway. I always thought the more dangerous side of that was north side of airport MVT because there wasn't a bailout with fence. Oh well.

Widening the trail is needed. And the crash barrier is a good idea, especially if it reduces headlight glare at night.

T, I'm sorry, I don't understand your comment about the curb cut. Is this at the one at-grade crossing north of the Metro line? I'd like to see it grade separated some day.

NPS responded to my concerns about the surface and constrictions of these detours with some helpful information I'm not seeing in other reports:

The north detour, for work under the 233 bridge, will be in use for a few weeks.

The south detour, around the large tree, will be in use for a few days.

The middle detour, under the Metro bridge, will be in use for about three months. I'm pre-writing my next query in case we get a major snow or long freeze that makes this section impassable.

It's worth noting that this is not an NPS project, so while NPS is our point of contact they aren't directly making the decisions about the work. Mr. LaRocca of the NPS noted my comments and promised to pass them along to the NPS engineer working as the FHWA liaison. To me this extra layer means we need to alert NPS early, often, and politely so any concerns or complaints we may have will be taken seriously and in due course.

I wrote to LaRocca to ask about closing the ramp 500a and using it as a detour instead of mulch. There is no point of that ramp being there anyways because drivers can cut thru the airport (not the terminal area but just to the west next to the garage in the same amount of time and make a safer merge onto the GWP. Heard nothing more than DaveS though, NPS will only forward to engineer :(

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