May 2017 Trail and Road Conditions

[bobco85]

@bobco85 160080 wrote:

(Arlington, VA) – The W&OD Trail and Four Mile Run Dr are both closed between Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive due to a fallen tree that hit the power lines and caused a brush fire. It was reported on ArlNow: https://www.arlnow.com/2017/05/15/breaking-tree-down-on-power-lines-brush-fire-along-four-mile-run-drive/

Pics from the article:
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I’ll post an update if things clear up by this evening, but in the meantime, you can use Four Mile Run Trail as a detour as shown here: https://goo.gl/maps/CqRUHZV2FrS2

ArlNow posted a update on the situation:

Updated at 2:30 p.m. — The fire has been extinguished and Four Mile Run Drive is expected to reopen shortly. The access road is expected to remain closed until the fallen tree is removed.

While it is not known if the W&OD Trail will be open, trail users will be able to use Four Mile Run Drive (mostly one lane with parking lane) to get between Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive.

[Birru]

I left Crystal City at about 4:15 and took those trails home. No impact on my commute.

[bobco85]

I passed by there and took some pics around the area. Everything was open, and the smell of the burnt hillside was still in the air. A lot of people didn’t seem to even know what had happened.

Pics of the aftermath of the fallen tree-electrical wire-brush fire from earlier today:

(top) at first, it was difficult to find a good angle; (bottom) elevation was key to properly seeing the burnt area
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(left) this truck was damaged by the fallen tree, now sporting a dent in the hood and a broken side view mirror among other things; (right) all that remained of the tree that started the chain reaction
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scorched earth
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(top) pano looking down the hillside; (bottom) pano looking at the trail and hillside
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[Tania]

@Dewey 158519 wrote:

There is broken pavement/concrete debris on the Roosevelt Bridge sidewalk on the Kennedy Center side, should this be reported to DDOT Street & Bridge Maintenance?

This has been fixed.

[DanB]

The sign is missing at the Shreve Road crossing on the W&OD. It’s the one located between lanes and warns cars about the trail crossing. The sign’s base is still there, though. I’m concerned that a biker could hit it while crossing the road and get thrown off. I just sent an email to the W&OD office and asked who else should be contacted on it.

[Tania]

Tree down on custis about a half mile west of the bridge over the 66 exit ramp for Glebe – the first little climb you come to after the bridge. Fire dept was there and warned of possible live wires.

[consularrider]

@Tania 160523 wrote:

Tree down on Custis about a half mile west of the bridge over the 66 exit ramp for Glebe – the first little climb you come to after the bridge. Fire dept was there and warned of possible live wires.

It wasn’t down around 3:40 pm. Glad I took Fairfax back instead.

[KWL]

I would like to compliment the crew that laid down the new asphalt for the MVT at TRI. The transition from the GW Parkway overpass to the trail is just perfect though I continue to brace myself for the now nonexistent bump. And once on the trail, it is sooo smooth. Nice.

Oooh, and cars have stop signs for where the trail crosses the parking lot. Something to think about for the National Airport exit road crossing.

[Judd]

@KWL 160540 wrote:

Oooh, and cars have stop signs for where the trail crosses the parking lot. Something to think about for the National Airport exit road crossing.

I was in Herndon, yesterday and appreciated that all of the trail intersections with streets were 4 way stops. This just seems to make a whole lot of sense to me and I don’t understand why other towns along the WOD haven’t done this.

[scoot]

In some places, that idea should be taken a step further. For instance, at the W&OD / Buckthorn intersection, the two-way stop signs should be facing the dead-end street, and the trail users should have persistent right-of-way.

[vern]

@scoot 160547 wrote:

In some places, that idea should be taken a step further. For instance, at the W&OD / Buckthorn intersection, the two-way stop signs should be facing the dead-end street, and the trail users should have persistent right-of-way.

yep, that’s got to be the dumbest stop sign on the WOD – the northbound stop sign for cyclists as they hit the peak of the hill at Buckthorn.

[dasgeh]

There’s a tree down across the Custis just east of the Spout Run bridge. It’s suspended about 6′ above the trail by the soundwall and another tree, but it doesn’t look stable.

I’ve report to ArlCo.

[DanB]

@vern 160549 wrote:

yep, that’s got to be the dumbest stop sign on the WOD – the northbound stop sign for cyclists as they hit the peak of the hill at Buckthorn.

… and who names a street after an invasive species, anyway? :confused:

[sjclaeys]

The usual spots of the W&OD at Wilson Blvd and along 4MRT near the airport are quite under water.

[bobco85]

@bobco85 159428 wrote:

(Hyattsville, MD) – Based on reports both on this forum (kudos to Greenbelt, Brett L, and Bryan on Strava for alerting me to this) and the following Tweet https://twitter.com/MattDLiddle/status/859365117829550081 , the bridge directly west of the West Hyattsville Metro on the Northwest Branch Trail is closed for repairs for an unspecified length of time.

Update: the trail has been reopened.

Here’s the report that I saw on Twitter: https://local.nixle.com/alert/5971537/

5/24 – NW Branch Trail now OPEN. Temporary bridge repairs are complete.

[Author]

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