2-Wk Custis Trail Detour, Aug 24-Sep 6

[Henry]

From VDOT:

Custis Trail to Close at Bon Air Park in Arlington for

Two Weeks, August 24-September 6

Detour in place during construction of new trail roundabout

FAIRFAX - The Custis Trail will close in Arlington’s Bon Air Park between the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail and the I-66 underpass for up to two weeks for construction to create a roundabout to enhance safety for trail users. The closure is planned from Monday, August 24, through Sunday, September 6. Detour signs will be posted to direct pedestrians, cyclists, and other trail users around the closure. This work is being done as a component of the Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project.

A posted detour will route users around the closure using the W&OD Trail, Wilson Boulevard, N. Lexington Street, and N. 9th Road to reach the bike/pedestrian bridge over I-66. Delineators will be placed temporarily on a short span of Wilson Boulevard to separate cyclists from vehicle traffic and provide a wider bike lane to allow cyclists to travel in both directions for about 500 feet. The sidewalk on the north side of Wilson Boulevard will also be available for trail users.



A roundabout is being constructed on the south side of the Custis Trail I-66 underpass to improve safety and sightlines for pedestrians, cyclists, and other users of the Custis Trail and Bon Air Park. The Custis Trail remains closed under I-66 for safety reasons while an additional travel lane is added overhead. The trail is expected to fully reopen in late October 2020.

The I-66 Eastbound Widening Project will add a travel lane along four miles of eastbound I-66 and install approximately 12,000 linear feet of new and replacement noise barriers. The project also includes constructing a new direct access ramp from eastbound I-66 to the West Falls Church Metro Station at the Route 7 interchange, and a new W&OD Trail bridge over Lee Highway (Route 29). Learn more about the project at inside.transform66.org.

On Twitter, follow VDOT Northern Virginia at @VaDOTNOVA.

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[DrP]

New detour is poorly marked. Heading NW on W&OD there are no signs after one goes under Wilson Blvd to indicate that this would be a good place to turn if one wanted the Custis Trail. I knew I would need to, so I did. They have blocked off twice the width of the bike lane, but have a sign to tell cyclists to dismount (why? Isn't that why it was blocked off?). When reaching N. Lexington St, there is a sign to turn left on to it. There are no other signs what to do next. Since I know that there is a trail through Bon Air park that ends at a T on the trail near the overpass I take that. Well, at the T it is blocked. It is also blocked in the other direction at N. Lexington. It looks like the intention was for people to take N Lexington to the trail and go to the overpass.

Other people were confused. There was one person walking their bike overland from the area of the shelter, I gather from the W&OD-Custis intersection. There were several people at the blocked trail and the N Lexington entrance. So, I am guessing that it is poorly marked at that location and at the Custis intersection.

Who designs these detours and signs them? There needs to be signs at least:
*NW direction of trail after Wilson underpass;
*Signs on N Lexington to indicate that it is the direction at the Bon Air parking lot entrances (both of them);
*More signs explaining the detour at the N Lexington entrance to the trail in both directions;
*Remove the dismount sign; and
*I am guessing more signs at the W&OD-Custis intersection.

[Henry]

DrP, I forwarded your comments to DES staff, who said they are working with VDOT improving the detour signage. Thanks for providing this information.

Henry

[Steve O]

Poor detour signage is a constant problem, and it happens every.single.time.

I do not know what is so hard about someone actually getting on a bike and riding along (or walking if they don't have a bike), following the signs, to see if they work. That would seem to be something that should be standard practice for immediately after the signs are placed.

[ursus]

Riding from DC on the Custis and then heading west on the W&OD, there are now five detours within about two miles.

[DrP]

DrP, I forwarded your comments to DES staff, who said they are working with VDOT improving the detour signage. Thanks for providing this information.

Henry

Well, there are now two signs on Lexington to help guide, if one is on the sidewalk, and the "walk bike" sign removed, so some progress. There is nothing at the split at the top of the hill (when coming from the W&OD) and nothing to tell someone heading west that one needs to turn after the Wilson underpass - if I didn't know, I would ride to the Custis trail then have to turn around and go back.

This should be done soon, right?

[ursus]

This detour has been eliminated.

[accordioneur]

I like the expanded pavement area which will make it easier to negotiate the "S" turn. I'm not sure I see the benefit of the raised curb circle in the middle of it.

[Starduster]

I like the expanded pavement area which will make it easier to negotiate the "S" turn. I'm not sure I see the benefit of the raised curb circle in the middle of it.

We have a traffic circle on a bike path.

We have a traffic circle on a bike path!

Is this new design practice?

[huskerdont]

We have a traffic circle on a bike path.

We have a traffic circle on a bike path!

Is this new design practice?

I've seen it in Massachusetts (Cape Cod) where two trails merge, but not locally.