VDOT to present final design for the W&OD trail bridge over Route 29 on Oct 11th

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will host a community meeting to present the final design and aesthetic details for the Washington & Old Dominion Trail Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge over U.S. Route 29 (Lee Highway) in Arlington. The design reflects input received during workshops held on April 5, May 2, and June 13, 2017.

 

The trail bridge is being built as a component of the I-66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project. 

 

Thursday, October 11, 2018

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Presentation at 7 p.m.

 

Yorktown High School

5200 Yorktown Boulevard

Arlington, VA 22207

 

Here's what was presented in June.

 

This bridge is the next in a series of projects to grade separate the W&OD Trail. The first was in 1990, when a bridge was built over Route 28 and most recently last year when Belmont Road was built to go over the trail. 

Comments

[KeithS]

I think it's really short-sighted that they are not completing the trail along 66 east of Rt. 29 as part of the inside the beltway widening. The trail should continue along the highway from East Falls metro across Sycamore to sharp curve where it currently realigns with 66 after a long jaunt through the neighborhood and through Benjamin Banneker park. This would be an ideal use of funds from the current 66 tolls and I'm sure the neighborhood would appreciate it greatly.

[washcycle]

KeithS, there's a plan for that:

http://www.thewashcycle.com/2018/04/wod-and-fmr-trails-in-banneker-park-to-be-improved-then-rerouted.html

[Kolohe]

I'm in favor of this bridge, but would really like to see one over George Mason at Four Mile Run, which is a far more chaotic intersection.

[washcycle]

I hear you, but they did that study of trail crossings four years ago and only had Mason for intersection improvements, no overpass or underpass. So I don't think it is in any plans.

[Kolohe]

Yeah, I had never seen even trial balloons for that, and I've been riding that stretch since my first 10 speed from Metropolis bicycles. To be a devil's advocate, the trail rightaway does narrow there on the north side (where the rail bed probably just cut right into the side of a hill back in thebday), and is pretty much directly under the high voltage power wires. So I've never been sure how to actually do such an overpass.

[Kolohe]

I did not realize until reading that archived Washington post article that there were serious plans to extend (re-extend?) the W&OD trail to Bluemont by the mid 90s (and perhaps all the way up to Snicker's Gap)

[washycle]

Oh yeah, there's another article about it from 1998 (https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1235160.html). I think it's still in the Loudoun County Bike Plan, but I think it's lost steam. Allen Muchnick wrote about it back in 2008. http://www.thewashcycle.com/2008/12/2008-cwl-5-wod.html?cid=142981946#comment-6a00d8345198c369e20105367caa0f970b