A section of the Capital Crescent Trail near the Bethesda trail head will be closed for about 10 weeks while Ourisman Honda finishes construction of a 1300 foot public plaza, and some other work related to their new garage. The plaza is retroactive compensation for the garaged that encroached on trail space.
Ourisman...agreed to construct and maintain a 1,300-square-foot public plaza near Bethesda and Woodmont avenues as well as move its driveway farther from the trail’s Bethesda Avenue entrance [and] to install decorative screening around the expanded garage to create a more appealing facade facing the trail.
At the same time, crews will widen about a quarter-mile section of the trail about two feet to 16 feet.
While construction is ongoing, the trail will be blocked and Ourisman has created temporary paths to get past the construction, one for pedestrians and one for bicyclists. Signs will direct trail users the correct way, Kandel said.
Some police may be present intermittently to enforce correct use of the alternate trails.
This whole thing has been a mess, but maybe this plaza will make it all worthwhile.
Also, Anne Arundel County officials cut the ribbon on phase I of the South Shore Trail this week.
The original groundbreaking on this section of trail was held back in, checks notes, 1990. Let's just say things didn't go as planned. Land was harder to acquire than they thought and so was money, there was some nimby fear about "thugger-mugger trails" and about the plans to connect it to the Elementary School it passes by because of the bad people it would bring (Unlike the road) and they eventually had to detour around wetlands.
Anyway, the 1.65 mile section is finally opened and it looks great. See you at the opening of Phase II in 2048!
Also, Happy Bike to Work Day.
the trial is not smooth. it's brand new and it's not smooth. bicycle advocates should learn why this is the case...as it usually is. this takes study...
Posted by: mike | May 17, 2019 at 10:20 AM