Upcoming Four Mile Run Trail closures

[consularrider]

4MRT under the bridges was closed at least by 7:45am today.

[scorchedearth]

I rode through the underpass on Saturday morning and found it closed for the first time. This route is part of my commute so I’ll report back to let people know if it remains closed.

[APKhaos]

It was closed at the bridges on Sunday, of course.

[Arlingtonrider]

It was closed this (Monday) morning too. I followed the detour signs and found it easy to ride down the switchback with a little Flintstoning around the tight corners. I’m totally uncoordinated though. Someone in front of me rode down it with no problem.

[cyclingfool]

I’ve generally been taking Potomac Ave up through Crystal City from Del Ray to avoid all that, but I may have to detour one of these days just to try out the switchbacks… with one, maybe both feet unclipped in case I need to Flintsone or put down a foot unexpectedly.

[Emm]

@cyclingfool 80396 wrote:

I’ve generally been taking Potomac Ave up through Crystal City from Del Ray to avoid all that, but I may have to detour one of these days just to try out the switchbacks… with one, maybe both feet unclipped in case I need to Flintsone or put down a foot unexpectedly.

OHH thank you for the idea to use Potomac Ave. I bike from Del Ray a few times a week and was wondering what the best route was–Potomac is really easy to access from where I am so I’ll try it. I’ll also probably try the switchbacks on a day I’m not biking with my laptop…

[PotomacCyclist]

Now that Potomac Yard Park is open, there is a lot of room for cyclists to ride along Potomac Ave., especially when there may not be as much pedestrian traffic (in the mornings?). There is the bike path, but now there is also the very wide esplanade next to the railroad tracks.

[cyclingfool]

@PotomacCyclist 80448 wrote:

Now that Potomac Yard Park is open, there is a lot of room for cyclists to ride along Potomac Ave., especially when there may not be as much pedestrian traffic (in the mornings?). There is the bike path, but now there is also the very wide esplanade next to the railroad tracks.

And the road itself is generally light traffic, which, with a few exceptions, is courteous. It’s 25mph speed limit and four lanes, which makes it easy for cars to just go around.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk 2

[dbb]

Got an update from Pulte (they are running the bridge demo) today. The report the actual demo contractor reports “We are preparing the second half of the bridge for demolition. We would need to close the trail permanently for at least two months starting this week. We cannot leave it open since this operation will not be safe for the pedestrians/bicyclists. “

Closure appears imminent.

[Arlingtonrider]

Thanks for that update, Dana. I think it’s been fully closed since Friday, but I have to hand it to someone (Arlington County? Pulte?), the detours from the trail are extremely well marked and easy to follow.

After trying several alternatives, none of which was too bad, I’ve decided to mostly skip the Crystal City detour (except when I want a burger at Good Stuff) and follow the one that is recommended at the top of this thread. It seems to me to be the easiest and most direct one to and from Shirlington. Plus it has the switchbacks. Heading west, you go up them. Heading east, you go downward.

[Subby]

Eads would be so great if they would smooth the pavement and repaint the bike lane and sharrow.

[PotomacCyclist]

I think part or all of Eads St. is scheduled to be repaved this year. Along with the repaving, the bike lanes are supposed to be extended north of 23rd St.

On a different note, I was wondering if anyone had heard any updates on the proposed Four Mile Run Pedestrian-Cyclist Bridge. There was a design contest back in 2009 for a bridge that would connect Eads St. and Commonwealth Ave. in Alexandria, or curve above FMR near those streets. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission website doesn’t have any updates since about 2010:

http://www.novaregion.org/index.aspx?NID=1305

The site includes a link to a PDF presentation (very slow-loading) that shows a sleek bike bridge that would connect the park at Commonwealth Ave. with FMR Trail, to the west of Eads St.

When the bridge proposal was posted on The WashCycle in 2009, there was a lot of skepticism from commenters about the need for such a bridge. They noted that one end of the bridge would lead to the water treatment plant in Arlington, but others countered that a nice bridge could help to turn FMR into a pleasant recreational area.

Was there ever demand for this bridge? It’s kind of hard to see any groups pushing to get this built. The bridge design looks nice, but out of place on FMR, especially next to the water treatment plant. I agree that the proposal was more along the lines of “nice to have” than a “must have” project.

There are separate plans to remake the old rail bridge (in between Potomac Ave. and the bridge being demolished now) into an elevated park. That could work much better, since it’s not directly facing the water treatment plant.

[scorchedearth]

The underpass is most definitely shut down.

[PotomacCyclist]

Looks like two of the large bridge sections are now in pieces and down in the stream bed. I passed by there last night for the first time in a few weeks. The water has been diverted around the piles of concrete rubble. The bridge section on the north bank is still in place, but not for long.

[CaseyKane50]

Here is a photo taken last Friday.

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