Failing streetcar trestle leads to partial closure of Glover Archbold Park

The Park Service has closed part of Glover Archibald Park under the old streetcar trestle, due to the need for stabilization and safety features. Local trail advocates want to use the trestle as part of a trail between the Palisades and Georgetown, and DDOT includes such a trail in the MoveDC plan (and other older plans too).

The closure results from a determination by the National Park Service that a historic trolley trestle, owned by WMATA, poses a safety hazard to park visitors. The trestle, which is located several hundred feet north of Canal Road NW, spans Glover Archbold Park. The piers for the trestle are located on property administered by Rock Creek Park, and the Glover Archbold Park pedestrian trail passes directly underneath the eastern portion of the span.

4 2014 assessment of the structure, commissioned by WMATA and made available to the National Park Service in the summer of 2016, determined that the trestle requires stabilization as well as the installation of safety measures to prevent debris from the unused structure from falling. After on-going monitoring of the area by National Park Service staff and a visual inspection of the trestle by a National Park Service engineer, the Rock Creek Park Superintendent ordered the emergency closure of the trail underneath the trestle on August 8, 2016. Park staff subsequently installed barriers at the north and south ends of the trail closure, and detour maps and signs were put in place for trail users. Park staff continues to work with WMATA to help protect'park visitors, while WMATA determines how to proceed with stabilization or disposition of the structure and on WMATA's plans for installation of a covered walkway and./or similar safety measures over the trail. Less restrictive measures will not suffice because of the need to ensure sufficient visitor and workmen safety until the trestle is adequately stabilized.

DC would need to buy the trestle from WMATA to build such a trail, and I wonder if the right price is $1 or less. 

Photo by jacquesofalltrades

Comments

[Brett Young]

I have been advocating saving the tressel (The name is the Foundry Branch Bridge) for about 2 years and I've been leading the effort to get this bridge restored.
I was the one who pressed WMATA's real estate head to do an assessment. Long story short, according to them it can be saved.
WMATA has let it deteriorate for almost 53 years since the last trolley ran over it in 1960. (They inherited it from O Roy Chalk)
I have also been told by someone in the know that it would be cheaper to fix the bridge than demolish it.

The most important thing is that once the bridge is restored, the walk from Foxhall RD into Georgetown U over the bridge is about 3 to 5 minutes.
Everyone will be very surprised how quick it is to get there via the bridge.
Let's get this restored!

[Brett Young]

Also, 2 years ago, Maryland restored the trolley bridge at Glen Echo Park. (It was part of the same route)
You can view the restoration photos here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jojopuppyfish/albums/72157645849570941

[Crickey7]

Both NPS and WMATA have a lot of demands for their scarce funds.

[SJE]

Can't NPS sue WMATA for this? They let the bridge degrade for 53 years, to the detriment of the park. If I have a rotting tree that falls on your house, its on me.

[DaveS]

Time to revise SafeTrack, again!