Upcoming construction activity for the new W&OD Trail Bridge over Lee Highway (Route 29) in Arlington will require a trail detour for about two weeks beginning Monday, August 24. Closure of this trail section and the current, temporary routing around bridge construction will allow crews to build a permanent trail connection between the new bridge and the nearby sidewalk and crosswalk on Lee Highway.
Details include:
- Around 5 a.m. on Monday, August 24, the W&OD Trail will close between Little Falls Street and Lee Highway (near mile marker 5.5).
- Pedestrians will be detoured to the north on Little Falls Street, then turn right on Fairfax Drive to reach the signalized crosswalk for Lee Highway. Sidewalk is available for this entire detour.
- Cyclists will be detoured to the south on Little Falls Street, turn left on West Jefferson Street to reach Lee Highway, then turn left on Lee Highway to the signalized crosswalk. Most of Jefferson Street does not have sidewalk.
- On the east side of Lee Highway, trail users will remain shifted to nearby Fairfax Drive for about 200 feet. This portion of Fairfax Drive remains closed to vehicle traffic.
Detour signs will be posted. Cyclists using sidewalks during this detour are reminded to yield to pedestrians and dismount if necessary. This detour route was previously used in 2019 and early 2020 to allow initial bridge construction activities.
A two-week detour of the Custis Trail in nearby Bon Air Park is also planned to begin on August 24. Find more information on trail detours here.
The new W&OD Trail Bridge over Lee Highway will provide trail users a safer crossing at this busy intersection. Upwards of 2,000 people use the trail in this area near mile marker 5.5 on peak days. The bridge is expected to open in fall 2020.
W&OD Trail Bridge construction is part of the Transform 66 Inside the Beltway Eastbound Widening Project, which is also adding a travel lane along four miles of eastbound I-66, installing approximately 12,000 linear feet of new and replacement noise barriers, and constructing a new direct access ramp from eastbound I-66 to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station at the Leesburg Pike (Route 7) Interchange. Learn more about the project at inside.transform66.org.
The additional eastbound lane is scheduled to open to traffic in fall 2020, with the Route 7 ramp connection scheduled to open in late 2020. The overall project is expected to be complete in fall 2021.