Capital Crescent Surface Trail and Tunnel will be reviewed by the Planning Board on October 14

The Montgomery County Planning Board will review and provide advisory comments to MCDOT on the Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 and Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) Under MD 355 projects on Thursday, October 14.

The interim CCT (or the Georgetown Branch Trail) used to go under Wisconsin Avenue in the old rail tunnel, but that has been closed since work on the Purple Line began and when it all reopens the light rail will use the tunnel. So the plan is build a new tunnel just south of the rail tunnel and an improved surface route.

The tunnel story is much longer than that, if you must know, and if you started digging the trail tunnel's grave every time it was in trouble you'd be in China by now but last year MoCo voted to build their part of the tunnel despite a higher than expected price tag. The tunnel west of Wisconsin was built as part of the Carr section and the part under Wisconsin Ave and to the east built by the County. 

The Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 project would construct a 10-foot-wide shared-use path along the east side of 47th Street from Willow Lane to Elm Street.

Phase 1 of the trail tunnel would construct the part of the trail west of the Wilson and Elm, a bicycle storage facility inside of it, an interim trail connection between the Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 and the Capital Crescent Trail Mainline project under construction as part of the Purple Line project and reconstruct the northern portion of Elm Street Park and the east/west promenade through the park.

Phase 2 will finish the tunnel, reconfigure the surface route and redevelop parts of Elm Park

The Staff report includes some comments including  making sure utility poles are far enough away from the trail and...

Bicycle Parking Station
3. Provide stacked bicycle racks with lift assist.
4. Provide changing rooms and showers.
5. Provide secure access to the long-term bicycle parking area with CCTV security cameras, blue light phones in the bicycle parking area and access by key fob or other means.

Capital Crescent Surface Trail
10. Design the Capital Crescent Surface Trail north of the Promenade with a maximum running slope of 4.5% and a maximum cross slope of 1.5% to allow for construction tolerance in asphalt construction.
11. Reconcile the differences in the design of the Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 with the Capital Crescent Trail Under MD 355 Phase 1 where they merge at the intersection of 47th Street and Elm Street: 1) extend the curb along 47th Street at the Promenade to the corner of the Air Rights Building loading dock area, 2) coordinate the alignment and grading of the trail. Relocate the manhole for the sewer out of the pedestrian plaza area.

Capital Crescent Trail Civic Green Connector
12. Match the Capital Crescent Trail paving pattern of the Capital Crescent Civic Green Connector to the pattern in front of 4735 Bethesda Avenue.

A possible future for the Elm Street Park

Indoor bicycle parking near the west end of the tunnel.

The east end of the tunnel.

Comments

[David]

Thanks for posting--Really appreciate the update on the CCT tunnel. It will be great when the improved trial is fully built and open in a few years. Such an important link in the region's trial network.