In 1911, the newly incorporated Washington and Old Dominion Railway purchased the property that now contains the Bluemont Junction Trail to accommodate a part of a planned connection between the railway's line that travelled between Alexandria and the town of Bluemont, Virginia (at the base of Blue Ridge east of Snickers Gap) and its line that travelled between Georgetown and Great Falls. The three-mile long double-track connection traveled between a site to be named "Bluemont Junction" in the valley of Four Mile Run and a site to be named "Thrifton Junction" near Lee Highway (now a part of U.S. Route 29). [5]
The connection opened on June 30, 1912, and became a part of the railway's main passenger line. After the portion of the railway that travelled between Thrifton Junction and Great Falls closed in 1934, the former connection remained as a part of the section of the railroad that traveled between Bluemont Junction and the railroad's Rosslyn terminal.
In 1960, the Virginia highway department began negotiations to purchase the portion of the line that traveled between Rosslyn and Washington Boulevard for the construction of a highway that was to become part of Interstate 66 (I-66). The purchase was made in July 1962 for $900,000.[6][7]
In September 1963, the railroad stopped operating east of Washington Boulevard. In 1964, the railroad stopped using the portion of the line that remained between Washington Boulevard and Bluemont Junction.[8] After the highway department purchased the remainder of the railroad in 1968, the department sold to the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) the portion of the railroad's former right-of-way that the department did not need for the construction of I-66 or for other transportation purposes.[9]
The Arlington County government subsequently acquired the portion of the railroad's former right-of-way that now lies between I-66 and Bluemont Junction. The County unofficially opened the Bluemont Junction Trail (by then in the County's Bluemont Junction Park) between Bluemont Junction and Fairfax Drive in August 1988 and officially with a celebration on October 8, 1988.[10]
Descriptionedit
The Bluemont Junction Trail's northeast trailhead is located on the south side of Fairfax Drive near the eastbound exit ramp of Interstate 66 (I-66) (the Custis Memorial Parkway) in Ballston.[2][11] North of the Drive, a 300-yard (274 m)-long connector trail travels along the westbound entrance ramp of I-66, crossing the highway to meet the Custis Trail, which travels east to Rosslyn, the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Mount Vernon Trail.[2][12] Shared use paths connecting to the Custis Trail and the Mount Vernon Trail cross the Potomac River on four bridges and provide access to Georgetown, the National Mall and downtown Washington, D.C.[2]
A northward extension of the Bluemont Junction Trail travels 388 yards (355 m) between the north side of Fairfax Drive and the south side of Washington Boulevard (Virginia State Route 237), where it connects to North Glebe Road (Virginia State Route 120).[2][13] The trail meets at its northeast trailhead on-street bike lanes that travel between Ballston and Rosslyn on Fairfax Drive (Virginia State Route 237) and on Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards above the underground routes of Washington Metro's Orange and Silver lines.[2]
After leaving the northeast trailhead, the Bluemont Junction Trail travels 1.2 miles (1.9 km) southwest in Arlington County's Bluemont Junction Park,[3] crossing five streets at grade.[2] The trail reaches its southwest trailhead at an intersection with the W&OD Trail at Bluemont Junction, near Four Mile Run.[2][14] A bridge over the Run connects the trail to the Four Mile Run Trail in Bluemont Park.[2]
The Bluemont Junction Trail's grade is generally small except near its southwest trailhead. The trail's elevation at its northeast trailhead at Fairfax Drive is 259 feet (78.9 m).[15] After reaching its highest elevation (275 feet (83.8 m)) at its crossing of Wilson Boulevard,[16] the trail descends to its southeast trailhead, where its elevation is 207 feet (63.1 m).[17]
Galleryedit
Views along the Bluemont Junction Trail from northeast to southwest:
Trailhead at the I-66 exit to eastbound Fairfax Drive in Ballston, looking west. (January 2017)
Trail passing Fields Park, looking northeast towards Ballston. (January 2017)
Trail crossing North Buchanan Street, looking northeast towards Ballston. (January 2017)
Trail south of Wilson Boulevard near North Edison Street, looking northeast towards North George Mason Drive. (January 2017)
Trail south of Wilson Boulevard near North Edison Street, looking southwest. (January 2017)
Notesedit
^(1) . TrailLink. Rails-To-Trails Conservancy. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017. (2) "Bluemont Junction Trail Map". TrailLink. Rails-To-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
^ abcdefghij"Arlington County Bike Map: 2019" (PDF). BikeArlington. Arlington County government. May 2019. (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
^ ab. Arlington, Virginia: Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
^. Arlington, Virginia: Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
^(1) "Senate Enacts W.& O.D. Bill". The Washington Post. March 9, 1960. (2) Dewar, Helen (January 21, 1962). "Virginia Drops Plan To Buy W&OD Line". The Washington Post.
^"W&OD Rail Spur Bought by State". The Washington Post. July 10, 1962.
^"Rail Spur Quiet for While: But the Old W&OD Route Soon Will Hum With Autos". The Washington Post. November 16, 1964.
^Kyriakos, Marianne (May 28, 1994). "Arlington Seeks To Reclaim Land On Bicycle Trail". The Washington Post.
^"This Week: Trail Celebration". The Washington Post. October 6, 1988.
Media related to Bluemont Junction Trail at Wikimedia Commons
Harwood, Herbert H. Jr. (April 2000). (PDF) (3rd ed.). Fairfax Station, Virginia: Northern Virginia Parks Authority. pp. 19–144. ISBN0615114539. LCCN 77104382. OCLC 44685168. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017. In Appendix K of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority - Pre-filed Direct Testimony of Mr. Hafner, Mr. Mcray and Mr. Simmons, November 30, 2005 (Parts 4 and 5), Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in "Case Docket Search". Virginia State Corporation Commission. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
April 12, 2024
bluemont, junction, trail, mile, asphalt, paved, rail, trail, arlington, county, virginia, united, states, that, arlington, county, government, constructed, along, former, branch, defunct, washington, dominion, railroad, shared, path, travels, southwest, from,. The Bluemont Junction Trail is a 1 2 mile 1 9 km asphalt paved rail trail in Arlington County Virginia United States that the Arlington County government constructed along a former branch of the defunct Washington and Old Dominion Railroad 1 The shared use path travels southwest from Ballston through Bluemont Junction Park Wikidata to Bluemont Junction 2 3 The trail connects Ballston to the Washington amp Old Dominion Railroad Trail W amp OD Trail and the Four Mile Run Trail in and near Bluemont Park ceb 2 4 Bluemont Junction TrailLooking north on the Bluemont Junction Trail with Fields Park to the left and Ballston buildings in the background January 2017 Length1 3 milesLocationArlington County VirginiaEstablished1988DesignationShared use path Rail trailTrailheadsNortheast Fairfax Drive 38 52 55 N 77 07 05 W 38 881912 N 77 118039 W 38 881912 77 118039 Fairfax Drive Southwest Bluemont Junction 38 52 19 N 77 07 56 W 38 87183 N 77 132104 W 38 87183 77 132104 Bluemont Junction UseBiking running walkingGradeSmall moderately steep near Bluemont Junction trailheadDifficultyMostly easy moderate near Bluemont Junction trailheadSeasonAllMonthsAllSightsTrees and shrubs in Bluemont Junction ParkHazardsStreet crossings especially at N Kensington Street 38 52 15 N 77 07 42 W 38 870934 N 77 128317 W 38 870934 77 128317 N Kensington Street Wilson Boulevard 38 52 42 N 77 07 16 W 38 878207 N 77 121026 W 38 878207 77 121026 Wilson Boulevard N George Mason Drive 38 52 42 N 77 07 15 W 38 878395 N 77 120906 W 38 878395 77 120906 N George Mason Drive SurfaceAsphaltRight of wayFormer railroadWebsitewww wbr traillink wbr com wbr trail wbr bluemont junction trail wbr Trail mapMap all coordinates in Bluemont Junction Trail using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML GPX all coordinates GPX primary coordinates GPX secondary coordinates The trail is part of a route to Georgetown and downtown Washington D C It serves as an alternative to a portion of the more hilly Custis Trail Contents 1 History 2 Description 3 Gallery 4 Notes 5 External linksHistory editFurther information Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Washington and Old Dominion Railway 1911 1936 In 1911 the newly incorporated Washington and Old Dominion Railway purchased the property that now contains the Bluemont Junction Trail to accommodate a part of a planned connection between the railway s line that travelled between Alexandria and the town of Bluemont Virginia at the base of Blue Ridge east of Snickers Gap and its line that travelled between Georgetown and Great Falls The three mile long double track connection traveled between a site to be named Bluemont Junction in the valley of Four Mile Run and a site to be named Thrifton Junction near Lee Highway now a part of U S Route 29 5 The connection opened on June 30 1912 and became a part of the railway s main passenger line After the portion of the railway that travelled between Thrifton Junction and Great Falls closed in 1934 the former connection remained as a part of the section of the railroad that traveled between Bluemont Junction and the railroad s Rosslyn terminal In 1960 the Virginia highway department began negotiations to purchase the portion of the line that traveled between Rosslyn and Washington Boulevard for the construction of a highway that was to become part of Interstate 66 I 66 The purchase was made in July 1962 for 900 000 6 7 In September 1963 the railroad stopped operating east of Washington Boulevard In 1964 the railroad stopped using the portion of the line that remained between Washington Boulevard and Bluemont Junction 8 After the highway department purchased the remainder of the railroad in 1968 the department sold to the Virginia Electric and Power Company VEPCO the portion of the railroad s former right of way that the department did not need for the construction of I 66 or for other transportation purposes 9 The Arlington County government subsequently acquired the portion of the railroad s former right of way that now lies between I 66 and Bluemont Junction The County unofficially opened the Bluemont Junction Trail by then in the County s Bluemont Junction Park between Bluemont Junction and Fairfax Drive in August 1988 and officially with a celebration on October 8 1988 10 Description editThe Bluemont Junction Trail s northeast trailhead is located on the south side of Fairfax Drive near the eastbound exit ramp of Interstate 66 I 66 the Custis Memorial Parkway in Ballston 2 11 North of the Drive a 300 yard 274 m long connector trail travels along the westbound entrance ramp of I 66 crossing the highway to meet the Custis Trail which travels east to Rosslyn the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Mount Vernon Trail 2 12 Shared use paths connecting to the Custis Trail and the Mount Vernon Trail cross the Potomac River on four bridges and provide access to Georgetown the National Mall and downtown Washington D C 2 A northward extension of the Bluemont Junction Trail travels 388 yards 355 m between the north side of Fairfax Drive and the south side of Washington Boulevard Virginia State Route 237 where it connects to North Glebe Road Virginia State Route 120 2 13 The trail meets at its northeast trailhead on street bike lanes that travel between Ballston and Rosslyn on Fairfax Drive Virginia State Route 237 and on Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards above the underground routes of Washington Metro s Orange and Silver lines 2 After leaving the northeast trailhead the Bluemont Junction Trail travels 1 2 miles 1 9 km southwest in Arlington County s Bluemont Junction Park 3 crossing five streets at grade 2 The trail reaches its southwest trailhead at an intersection with the W amp OD Trail at Bluemont Junction near Four Mile Run 2 14 A bridge over the Run connects the trail to the Four Mile Run Trail in Bluemont Park 2 The Bluemont Junction Trail s grade is generally small except near its southwest trailhead The trail s elevation at its northeast trailhead at Fairfax Drive is 259 feet 78 9 m 15 After reaching its highest elevation 275 feet 83 8 m at its crossing of Wilson Boulevard 16 the trail descends to its southeast trailhead where its elevation is 207 feet 63 1 m 17 Gallery editViews along the Bluemont Junction Trail from northeast to southwest nbsp Trailhead at the I 66 exit to eastbound Fairfax Drive in Ballston looking west January 2017 nbsp Trail passing Fields Park looking northeast towards Ballston January 2017 nbsp Trail crossing North Buchanan Street looking northeast towards Ballston January 2017 nbsp Trail south of Wilson Boulevard near North Edison Street looking northeast towards North George Mason Drive January 2017 nbsp Trail south of Wilson Boulevard near North Edison Street looking southwest January 2017 Notes edit 1 Bluemont Junction Trail Virginia TrailLink Rails To Trails Conservancy Archived from the original on June 7 2017 Retrieved June 7 2017 2 Bluemont Junction Trail Map TrailLink Rails To Trails Conservancy Retrieved June 7 2017 a b c d e f g h i j Arlington County Bike Map 2019 PDF BikeArlington Arlington County government May 2019 Archived PDF from the original on January 6 2020 Retrieved January 6 2020 a b Bluemont Junction Park Arlington Virginia Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation Archived from the original on December 29 2019 Retrieved January 15 2020 Bluemont Park Arlington Virginia Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation Archived from the original on March 21 2015 Retrieved August 31 2015 Harwood Herbert H Jr April 2000 Rails to the Blue Ridge The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad 1847 1968 3rd ed Fairfax Station Virginia Northern Virginia Parks Authority p 46 ISBN 0615114539 LCCN 77104382 OCLC 44685168 1 Senate Enacts W amp O D Bill The Washington Post March 9 1960 2 Dewar Helen January 21 1962 Virginia Drops Plan To Buy W amp OD Line The Washington Post W amp OD Rail Spur Bought by State The Washington Post July 10 1962 Rail Spur Quiet for While But the Old W amp OD Route Soon Will Hum With Autos The Washington Post November 16 1964 Kyriakos Marianne May 28 1994 Arlington Seeks To Reclaim Land On Bicycle Trail The Washington Post This Week Trail Celebration The Washington Post October 6 1988 Coordinates of northeast trailhead of Bluemont Junction Trail 38 52 55 N 77 07 05 W 38 881912 N 77 118039 W 38 881912 77 118039 Northeast trailhead of Bluemont Junction Trail 1 Coordinates of east end of connector to Custis Trail in Ballston 38 52 56 N 77 07 07 W 38 882162 N 77 118537 W 38 882162 77 118537 East end of connector to Custis Trail in Ballston 2 Coordinates of west end of connector to Custis Trail in Ballston 38 52 59 N 77 07 17 W 38 882969 N 77 121263 W 38 882969 77 121263 West end of connector to Custis Trail in Ballston 1 Coordinates of northward trail extension at Fairfax Drive 38 52 56 N 77 07 06 W 38 882180 N 77 118446 W 38 882180 77 118446 Northward trail extension at Fairfax Drive 2 Coordinates of northward trail extension at Washington Boulevard 38 53 07 N 77 07 06 W 38 885225 N 77 118306 W 38 885225 77 118306 Northward trail extension at Washington Boulevard 3 Coordinates of northward trail extension at North Glebe Road 38 53 07 N 77 07 02 W 38 885251 N 77 117307 W 38 885251 77 117307 Northward trail extension at N Glebe Road Coordinates of southeast trailhead at intersection with W amp OD trail 38 52 19 N 77 07 56 W 38 87183 N 77 132104 W 38 87183 77 132104 Southwest trailhead at Bluemont Junction Elevation of northeast trailhead on topographic map at CalTopo Archived from the original on December 3 2019 Retrieved January 13 2020 1 Coordinates of highest elevation on Bluemont Junction Trail at Wilson Boulevard 38 52 41 N 77 07 16 W 38 878048 N 77 121022 W 38 878048 77 121022 Highest elevation on Bluemont Junction Trail at Wilson Boulevard 2 Highest elevation on Bluemont Junction Trail on topographic map at CalTopo Archived December 3 2019 at the Wayback Machine Elevation of southeast trailhead on topographic map at CalTopo Archived from the original on December 3 2019 Retrieved January 13 2020 External links editKML file edit help Template Attached KML Bluemont Junction TrailKML is from Wikidata nbsp Media related to Bluemont Junction Trail at Wikimedia Commons Harwood Herbert H Jr April 2000 Rails to the Blue Ridge The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad 1847 1968 PDF 3rd ed Fairfax Station Virginia Northern Virginia Parks Authority pp 19 144 ISBN 0615114539 LCCN 77104382 OCLC 44685168 Archived from the original PDF on September 28 2017 Retrieved September 28 2017 In Appendix K of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Pre filed Direct Testimony of Mr Hafner Mr Mcray and Mr Simmons November 30 2005 Parts 4 and 5 Case No PUE 2005 00018 Virginia State Corporation Commission Obtained in Case Docket Search Virginia State Corporation Commission Retrieved September 28 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bluemont Junction Trail amp oldid 1217385356, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
