Oct 2022 Street and Trail Conditions

[arlcxrider]

Alexandria: Holmes Run Trail is closed at the Telegraph Road underpass where crews are replacing large sections of the concrete. I expect this will likely be passable in as couple days but right now it's not.

Where does the Holmes Run Trail pass under Telegraph Rd? Duke St or Eisenhower perhaps? Those are the only street/highway underpasses on the HRT.

[CaseyKane50]

Actually, the current Holmes Run Trail closure is near the railroad and Metro underpasses. These are closest to the Eisenhower Avenue underpass.

In the first picture below, you can see a cyclist walking their bike on the right side of the trail. I also used this route to get around the closure.

In the second photo, a jogger with a stroller went around on the right side through the sand.

I talked to one of the contractors who said they hoped to pour concrete today.

The third photo shows some new concrete that looks close to rideable.

[peterw_diy]

Actually, the current Holmes Run Trail closure is near the railroad and Metro underpasses. These are closest to the Eisenhower Avenue underpass.

Yes! Sorry!

I talked to one of the contractors who said they hoped to pour concrete today.

They definitely were. Kudos to you for off-roading it -- it didn't look viable for my skinny tires and road cleats.

Do you know more about why they're not bothering to change the profile of the trail? This is close to stream level and seems frequently be covered with silt that's washed over the trail. Seems suboptimal to just rebuild the trail at the same level...

[CaseyKane50]

Yes! Sorry!



They definitely were. Kudos to you for off-roading it -- it didn't look viable for my skinny tires and road cleats.

I walked my bike, it seemed the prudent thing to do.

Do you know more about why they're not bothering to change the profile of the trail? This is close to stream level and seems frequently be covered with silt that's washed over the trail. Seems suboptimal to just rebuild the trail at the same level...

Agree, don’t know if the city had considered other solutions.

[Smitty2k1]

Was watching local news over the lunch hour and they said Piney Branch Pkwy is reopening tomorrow, Oct 22, to vehicle traffic.

They did not mention, however, if the multi use trail will also be opening tomorrow.

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[ChristoB50]

What a difference a pave makes!
I've been LOVING the commute this week, riding on the newly milled & repaved stretch of trail running through Barcroft Park, connecting S George Mason and S Walter Reed. Monday I couldn't enter during the morning, and on the return trip a lot was still raw-milled. But by Tuesday afternoon it was all repaved... It is pure surface bliss on that wooded stretch now; I can free up the mental space formerly dedicated to remembering each root-bulge and where best to position my wheels to minimize them.

[CaseyKane50]

Alexandria: Holmes Run Trail is closed at the Telegraph Road underpass where crews are replacing large sections of the concrete. I expect this will likely be passable in as couple days but right now it's not.

The concrete work on the HRT is completed.

[DrP]

S Joyce street between Army-Navy Drive and Columbia Pike has been re-routed (temporarily, I presume) as part of the Columbia Pike construction. For cars there is one lane in each direction in what were the two northbound lanes (i.e., from Army-Navy Dr to Columbia Pike) plus a new area where it crosses where the sidewalk was. There is a wide, paved trail to the side for pedestrians and cyclists where they moved the road over what was the sidewalk.
There is an issue at the Columbia Pike end in that the curb cut is far over onto Columbia Pike, the Joyce drivers cannot see you and trying to get a walk signal takes forever (I always took the sidewalk on the other side of Joyce to avoid this corner – it is horrible).

Is there a way to, at least, get the walk signal to automatically turn (i.e., without pushing the button) so there is some hope of crossing and not being killed?

[Steve O]

S Joyce street between Army-Navy Drive and Columbia Pike has been re-routed (temporarily, I presume) as part of the Columbia Pike construction. For cars there is one lane in each direction in what were the two northbound lanes (i.e., from Army-Navy Dr to Columbia Pike) plus a new area where it crosses where the sidewalk was. There is a wide, paved trail to the side for pedestrians and cyclists where they moved the road over what was the sidewalk.
There is an issue at the Columbia Pike end in that the curb cut is far over onto Columbia Pike, the Joyce drivers cannot see you and trying to get a walk signal takes forever (I always took the sidewalk on the other side of Joyce to avoid this corner – it is horrible).

Is there a way to, at least, get the walk signal to automatically turn (i.e., without pushing the button) so there is some hope of crossing and not being killed?

I have been in touch with Arlington about this entire project, which suffers from other Maintenance of Traffic problems, too. Particularly that there is no clear indications about where people not driving cars are supposed to travel. And very particularly, seemingly no safe way for those who need mobility assist devices to transit through.

Feel free to contact Erin Potter at epotter@arlingtonva.us. She has agreed to get these issues to the right people.

[huskerdont]

Someone had posted about the 41st St S-turn having water lines going over it--sorry, can't find it now. Before, the gate had been opened so you could just ride straight up the hill, but someone has closed the gate and ziptied it. This is annoying and unsafe because now you have to ride over the water lines. This was fine on a gravel bike and would be on a mountain bike as well, but I think it would be sketchy on a road bike. Serious need for some lumberjacking here, but alas was heading down for a run on the towpath and was not equipped with scissors or wire cutters.