Twinbrook Connector Trail - Someday

Montogomery County required the developer JBG to build a section of trail from the NIH/NAID development they built, but now the County doesn't have the money to finish it, so it just sort of dead-ends on the other side of Rock Creek. The trail is the Twinbrook Connector Trail and it is intended to connect the Twinbrook Metro Station to the Rock Creek Trail (RCT) next to Veirs Mill Road.

The developer portion of the trail, about 3000 feet of trail and a bridge across Rock Creek, was completed in 2017 but it ends on the far side of the creek about 1200 feet from the RCT.  Early this year, the County built a muddy natural surface trail from the bridge to the RCT, which allowed it to "open" but not in the form originally planned. Nor is it even in the same place. It was originally to run along the south side of Veirs Mill Road and now meanders through the woods, which is where it appears it will stay, despite what is shown in the Veirs Mill Corridor Master Plan.

Because the county part of the trail is so inhospitable, they considered putting a temporary trail on the edge of the southeast-bound Veirs Mill shoulder, but in October they decided that was unsafe, and too expensive.

Now the plan is to design a paved trail connection over the Parkland area (seen below) and finish the design and environmental permitting by Summer 2019. 

This is all covered at the incredibly thorough Luke Fischer page, which is where both images are from as well. 

Comments

[Monte Fisher]

Thanks for posting this; it's been incredibly frustrating. FYI my page is on our lukefisher domain, which combines my wife's and my last names, not my first and last. Whenever anything happens I'll post an update the page at http://fishers.lukefisher.com/#update.

[Keith Sargent]

This is a great summary of a story that's been going off and on for several years. Many road cyclists, and some walkers, turn left at the end of the trail and have worn a path to the guardrail, where they lift their bikes and step over onto the road. I suppose the Parks and Highway department don't want to encourage this behavior, so the guardrail will not be taken down.

[Michael Weinraub]

Thanks Monte!

[Nancy]

Yes, thanks, Monte! I finally found this trail with help from your page and photos. It's been dry enough lately to ride the unpaved section.

[Keith Sargent]

The Parks Dept. turned down continuing the trail along Viers Mill Rd, saying it was unsafe for cyclists. But there are multiple signs and paintings along the side of the road saying it's a bike lane.