Custis Trail Resurfacing – August 2015

[Powerful Pete]

Most excellent. Always good news to see that bits of the trail are being refurbished. Happy Pete.

Thank you Arlington. Another reason I am happy to live here and pay my property taxes!

[DrP]

I am glad to hear that my commute to work will be a little smoother soon, and less likely to bump my panniers off.

[Tim Kelley]

Update!

The contractor is on schedule, and expects to start work on the Custis Trail Tuesday, August 11. They will be excavating root heaves, milling surfaces, and finishing with an asphalt overlay. Sections to be restored are: Harrison Street to Frederick Street, and 11th Street to Glebe Road.

Detour signs and barriers will be in place for the duration of the project. Follow the detours to remain safe. Large equipment and hazardous conditions could be present in the work zone.

[DrP]

@Tim Kelley 121878 wrote:

Update!

Any idea what the detour route might be? Or is it a wait and see?

[Tim Kelley]

@DrP 121883 wrote:

Any idea what the detour route might be? Or is it a wait and see?

I’ve passed along all I know. If you ride it tomorrow, take pictures and report back!

[bentbike33]

@Tim Kelley 121885 wrote:

I’ve passed along all I know. If you ride it tomorrow, take pictures and report back!

Some equipment was in position this morning ~7:00 am (e.g., a cold-planer parked on Frederick St.), but no detours marked.

[Raymo853]

Happy to read this. Had to look it up on Google Maps to be sure I understood where to avoid.

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9306&d=1439298519

[S. Arlington Observer]

ArlNow has an article up about the Custis Trail work. No real detail but a good chance for users to weigh in on the comments section if you like:

https://www.arlnow.com/2015/08/12/sections-of-curtis-trail-closed-for-repairs/

[darkwave]

@DrP 121883 wrote:

Any idea what the detour route might be? Or is it a wait and see?

/delurking (and, I’ll fess up – I’m a runner, not a cyclist)

I hit the detour this morning while running eastbound on the Custis. The trail was blocked off at the turn off just before Harrison Street. They have you turn left off of the Custis, then right onto Fairfax Drive, and then left onto Harrison. From there, I can’t tell you where they send you, as I opted to turn right and run down Harrison to Wilson and continue east from there.

(I was running late, and knew that Wilson eastbound would get me where I needed to be, while I wasn’t sure how far out of my way the official detour would take me).

/relurking.

[dagamon]

Oh, but the repaved parts are so, so smooth!

[Tim Kelley]

Detour map from the Park’s folks:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9310[/ATTACH]

[DrP]

@Tim Kelley 121990 wrote:

Detour map from the Park’s folks:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9310[/ATTACH]

They are going to detour folks onto Washington Blvd? Really? Oh that is going to upset the drivers to no end. And may then cause more than a few poor interactions between cars and bicycles. And not a fun hill up Harrison either. You will all get to experience the poor road quality, although at least they sort of fixed the mine field at 11th Rd. I am likely to try 16th and go passed the hospital to catch the trail off Glebe – not sure about crossing Glebe, though. I might sidewalk the 1.5 blocks between 16th and the trail entrance.

Note to all: Washington Blvd is packed with cars from 7:30am until close to 9am east bound, but not as many west bound. Left turns on or off are near impossible – and kindness to pedestrians/cyclists was rarely seen nor even to cars waiting and waiting and waiting to turn onto or off the road (or crossing it, as I do now on bike). Evenings it is a little less crowded, but with more cars west bound than east bound. Everyone races at the George Mason intersection where two lanes turn to one at between Glebe and Buchanan where it does the same thing. Turning left on to Glebe (east bound route) will not be pretty since (1) I doubt bikes can make the signal know someone is there to have a left and (2) without the left arrow, it will be tough to turn.
(Prior to accepting my reasons for not bike commuting as excuses, I drove Washington Blvd to work every day)

[Anonymous]

I had out of town company last weekend and briefly walked with them on the Custis, the part near the intersection of doom that looks like a sidewalk with a yellow line down the middle.

One of my guests said “oh, that’s nice, they have separate lanes for bikes and pedestrians”. A couple of signs or some paint on the concrete could pretty easily clear up any confusion about whether the lanes are “bikes” and “pedestrians” or “eastbound” and “westbound”.

[Tim Kelley]

@Amalitza 121992 wrote:

A couple of signs or some paint on the concrete could pretty easily clear up any confusion about whether the lanes are “bikes” and “pedestrians” or “eastbound” and “westbound”.

Great idea! Please suggest it to: trails@arlingtonva.us

[dagamon]

@DrP 121991 wrote:

They are going to detour folks onto Washington Blvd? Really? Oh that is going to upset the drivers to no end. And may then cause more than a few poor interactions between cars and bicycles. And not a fun hill up Harrison either. You will all get to experience the poor road quality, although at least they sort of fixed the mine field at 11th Rd. I am likely to try 16th and go passed the hospital to catch the trail off Glebe – not sure about crossing Glebe, though. I might sidewalk the 1.5 blocks between 16th and the trail entrance.

Note to all: Washington Blvd is packed with cars from 7:30am until close to 9am east bound, but not as many west bound. Left turns on or off are near impossible – and kindness to pedestrians/cyclists was rarely seen nor even to cars waiting and waiting and waiting to turn onto or off the road (or crossing it, as I do now on bike). Evenings it is a little less crowded, but with more cars west bound than east bound. Everyone races at the George Mason intersection where two lanes turn to one at between Glebe and Buchanan where it does the same thing. Turning left on to Glebe (east bound route) will not be pretty since (1) I doubt bikes can make the signal know someone is there to have a left and (2) without the left arrow, it will be tough to turn.
(Prior to accepting my reasons for not bike commuting as excuses, I drove Washington Blvd to work every day)

I did it this morning, and no problems. I actually took Washington all the way down to Kirkwood.

[Author]

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