August 2016 Road and Trail Conditions

[ursus]

@viennabiker 145085 wrote:

I stopped and read the message and promptly forgot about it until you posted this. I did a bit of googling and found this on the Friends of the W and OD site:

• Attention, Trail Users: impending detour on west side of Vienna
The creek that runs along the north side of the W&OD Trail in the vicinity of the western boundary of Vienna (between mileage markers 12 and 12.5) has produced significant erosion to the old railroad embankment (see photo). If corrective steps are not taken promptly, the Trail will soon be undermined. For this reason, on or about August 29th, NOVA Parks will begin a project to restore and to armor these steepening, crumbling northern slopes. This work will require a detour for Trail users along the gravel equestrian trail that parallels the paved trail to the south. NOVA Parks will grade and improve the gravel trail before opening this detour, which will span approximately 1,000 feet and be in place for roughly two months. When practical and safe, NOVA Parks will open the paved trail on weekends during the period of construction. Any questions regarding this project should be addressed to Project Manager Tim Heisler, who may also be reached by telephone at 703-352-5900.
http://www.wodfriends.org/news/

The good news is that the trail will still be open on weekends; the bad news is that on weekdays there will be a gravel trail. I remember a couple other occasions–one back in 2006 or 2007 and one in 2012 or so–in which restoration work required detouring to horse trail slightly west of where the work will be done now. Those detours could be negotiated on a road bike as I remember, but not without difficulty.

Some of the embankment work dates back before the Civil War, I believe. If only the work had been done right then, it wouldn’t require maintenance after a century and a half.

I recall what must have been 2012 when a bridge somewhat west of this was being repaired. The earlier one must have been only a weekday detour. I was not yet retired then and would not have been affected by a weekday detour.

I also recall a detour just east of Leesburg about two years ago and a lengthy one west of Leesburg when cables were being installed under the trail a couple of years earlier.

[bobco85]

Alexandria, VA: I noticed a few days ago that the bicycle portions of the sharrows on Beauregard St between King St and Seminary Rd were repainted. It’s nothing major, but a nice improvement as I generally travel on that stretch at least once per day.

[viennabiker]

@ursus 145096 wrote:

I recall what must have been 2012 when a bridge somewhat west of this was being repaired. The earlier one must have been only a weekday detour. I was not yet retired then and would not have been affected by a weekday detour.

I also recall a detour just east of Leesburg about two years ago and a lengthy one west of Leesburg when cables were being installed under the trail a couple of years earlier.

So a bit of digging revealed:

1. In 2012, there was a detour to repair the embankment: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?2062-Embankment-Work-on-WOD

2. In 2006, there was a detour to repair the bridge slightly west of there (as I recall, the detour was to the horsepath and there was a temporary wooden bridge): http://www.more-mtb.org/forums/topic/bridge-on-wod-trail-closed-due-to-storm-damage/

3. In the 1850s, when the trail was built there may have been other work, and the Civil War might have led to some disruptions, but google does not seem to be able to uncover any threads discussing any resulting detours.

[ursus]

@viennabiker 145103 wrote:

So a bit of digging revealed:

1. In 2012, there was a detour to repair the embankment: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?2062-Embankment-Work-on-WOD

2. In 2006, there was a detour to repair the bridge slightly west of there (as I recall, the detour was to the horsepath and there was a temporary wooden bridge): http://www.more-mtb.org/forums/topic/bridge-on-wod-trail-closed-due-to-storm-damage/

3. In the 1850s, when the trail was built there may have been other work, and the Civil War might have led to some disruptions, but google does not seem to be able to uncover any threads discussing any resulting detours.

Now I remember the 2006 detour. BTW, when I went by today, something was going on but the trail was still open.

As positive news, east of the center of Vienna they have finally opened the new trail by the community center. It was still the serpentine when I was there on Sunday. I certainly didn’t measure anything but the short new section might be the widest portion of the entire W&OD.

[vern]

I’ll bet that the new section in Vienna is at least as wide as the Georgetown Pike. I know that’s not saying much (for cars), but it’s pretty darn wide for a MUP.

[ursus]

They were ripping up the pavement today in the eastbound lane of the W&OD trail at the top of the Buckthorn Road hill.

Also they are preparing for the detour just west of Vienna as they were improving the horse path for bicycle use,

[ursus]

@vern 145157 wrote:

I’ll bet that the new section in Vienna is at least as wide as the Georgetown Pike. I know that’s not saying much (for cars), but it’s pretty darn wide for a MUP.

It’s a good thing that the wide section does not continue west to Maple, or cars would be turning into it, accidentally or on purpose.

[Author]

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