January 2022 Road and Trail Conditions

[Alcova cyclist]

W&OD between Columbia Pike and 50 is still very dicey. There actually are long stretches of edge-to-edge dry pavement, but also plenty of 100′ long sections that are edge to edge smooth and very slick ice. (I think I’d actually welcome some ruts TBH). Unsurprisingly, the bridges are all especially bad.

[arlcxrider]

@mstone 213085 wrote:

AFAIK, VDOT’s official position is that they don’t routine maintenance on trails. First you’d ask for snow removal, then you’d ask for vegetation trimming and debris cleanup, who knows where it would end?

Maybe they should just execute an MOU with Arlington County to perform trail maintenance if VDOT can’t/won’t do it.

[huskerdont]

@mstone 213094 wrote:

I couldn’t even get a positive response to “could the snow plows maybe put the giant block of ice just to the side of the curb cut, instead of directly on top of it”. They really don’t think their job is anything other than moving cars around as fast as possible.

This is what annoys me. If we’re not going to clear our walkways, fine (although if private citizens have to do it, why don’t governments?), but it really is ridiculous to plow the snow onto the pathways and ADA ramps. I’ve written Arlington and DC 311 a coupla times, but it’s pretty clear no one wants to make an effort to fix the overall problem.

[mikoglaces]

Anyone ridden on the TR bridge? Is it clear of ice?

[mstone]

@huskerdont 213182 wrote:

This is what annoys me. If we’re not going to clear our walkways, fine (although if private citizens have to do it, why don’t governments?), but it really is ridiculous to plow the snow onto the pathways and ADA ramps. I’ve written Arlington and DC 311 a coupla times, but it’s pretty clear no one wants to make an effort to fix the overall problem.

yes–if they did nothing at all the snow would be gone by now, but they deliberately create a situation that’s a problem potentially for weeks. but, VDOT isn’t accountable locally so…

[Boomer Cycles]

The pedestrian bridge over Shirlington Hwy – 395 from Shirlington Rd to Martha Custis Drive is 95% clear of snow & ice.

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[Alcova cyclist]

As of sunset on Wednesday, south end of the W&OD south is mostly ok, but with a couple of still very dangerous stretches.

It starts well, with clear, dry pavement from MM0 to the the “Sparrow Pond” (about MM 2.5 or 3). At the pond, there’s still a very nasty stretch of smooth, solid ice for 50 or maybe 100 yards – not quite edge-to-edge, but without any contiguous path through it. The good news (ha ha) is there are quite steep 15-20′ drops on either side only a foot or two off the trail. North of the ice sheet, there are still a few icy stretches with paths you can pick through, but the bridges are still bad (one bridge had a 18″ path someone had carved through the ice and another had someone with tools trying to clear a similar path).

[halfmetaljacket]

MVT trail @ Tulane Rd (south of Belle Haven) is still a total mess. The long dyke marsh boardwalk is completely covered in packed snow/ice and there were multiple downed trees blocking the path just south of that.[ATTACH=CONFIG]25924[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]25925[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]25926[/ATTACH]

[DrP]

Rode an Arlington Loop today (and Tuesday), with 4MRT instead of W&OD where I could. Today was much improved over Tuesday, although all bridges still an issue.
Trollheim: Someone (or multiple someones) have roughed up Trollheim so that I could ride slowly over large sections (my tires are 38s) and not slip when I needed to walk.
Airport bridges: The little strips at the airport bridges have been widened and someone has chopped up a large portion of the southbound side of the south bridge so that it is very ridable.
4MRT fords: On 4MRT, the ford just north of the Arlington Mill Community Center has water flowing over it. The Ford on the south side of Glen Carlyn park has ice, but the edges are clear enough for walking – or riding if you are daring enough to possibly fall in the water. Others were all clear or with small bits of avoidable ice.
W&OD bridges: People have been clearing narrow paths on the two bridges between Glen Carlyn and Rt 50. Someone has cleared, to the wood, a portion of the wooden bridge at the end of the Bluemont trail (I noticed this yesterday). Someone has cleared a narrow path on the wooden bridge just south of the Custis turn-off.

[And they are currently working on the footings for the bridge that was swept away a few years ago between 4MRT and the parking lot at Glen Carlyn near the dog park. I presume this means a replacement is coming]

[Boomer Cycles]

The footbridge and landing between the LBJ Memorial Grove and Pentagon parking lot is now melted enough that I was able to open up a single track through the last remaining ice sheet. You can now ride through to the MVT via the Marina without needing to dismount.

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[Starduster]

Good afternoon. Photos from my own ride on the W&OD around 1:00 PM: [ATTACH=CONFIG]25950[/ATTACH] Every wood surface bridge from the Pike to the Bluemont Connector was this icy. [ATTACH=CONFIG]25951[/ATTACH] There however was good news- crews are repairing the foundation of one of the washed out bridges on the Four Mile Run Trail at Glencarlyn Park. First step to replacement.

[Judd]

Update from NPS: they have completed tree work between Mount Vernon and the Stone Bridge. They’ll keep continuing north each day. They are clearing trail obstructions as well as cutting back damaged and hanging branches.

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[DrP]

Pre-treatment is occurring on Arlington trails. Around 8 am I noticed a LOT of salt on the Washington Blvd trail (the one between Rt 50 and Towers Park), it almost felt like riding on gravel. Around 9 am the bike lanes on S Hayes-18th were treated and they were treating Eads – I nearly caught up with the vehicle, but he turned south on 4MRT and I turned North (or is that east and west at that point?). I presume other trails will be done as the roads are also being treated. So, depending on what happens on Sunday and Monday, we may not be in bad shape for riding.

[Boomer Cycles]

The Eads Street bike Lane in Crystal City is clear, and treated w/ pickle juice today.

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[Starduster]

@Starduster 213391 wrote:

Good afternoon. Photos from my own ride on the W&OD around 1:00 PM: [ATTACH=CONFIG]25950[/ATTACH] Every wood surface bridge from the Pike to the Bluemont Connector was this icy. [ATTACH=CONFIG]25951[/ATTACH] There however was good news- crews are repairing the foundation of one of the washed out bridges on the Four Mile Run Trail at Glencarlyn Park. First step to replacement.

Bridge repair work at Glencarlyn Park reminded me of the other flood-related trail repair in progress along Dora Kelly Nature Park and the Holmes Run Trail in Alexandria. That work will not be complete until late 2023: https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/info/default.aspx?id=113304

[Author]

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