Detour Coming for Gravelly Point Construction

If you run, ride, or walk the Mount Vernon Trail anywhere near Gravelly Point, your route is about to change for quite a while.

The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) is putting a temporary detour in place as part of the Long Bridge Project, the 1.8-mile rail overhaul that will eventually relieve one of the worst freight and passenger bottlenecks on the East Coast. The detour goes into effect around May 22nd and stays in place until construction wraps in 2030.

In addition to new rail bridges, the project includes two new pedestrian bridges connecting the Mount Vernon Trail with East Potomac Park.

A construction work zone is going up between the existing Long Bridge and the Metrorail Yellow Line bridge, with an access driveway and staging area on the south side. To keep the trail open, VPRA is shifting the route toward the George Washington Memorial Parkway, then reconnecting it with the existing Mount Vernon Trail north and south of the work area.

The detour passes under the two existing bridges, and the trail narrows a bit through that stretch. Concrete barriers will separate trail users from vehicle traffic. Renderings show roughly 12 feet of road lane, an 11-foot buffer, and a minimum 7-foot trail width through the pinch point.

Flaggers will be on site during the brief windows when crews move materials across the path into the work zone. Posted signs will mark the detour.

More details here.