Four Mile Run Trail - S Shirlington Rd to Mt Vernon Trail

April 23, 2009 from Phoenix Rising New I-395 underpass on the Four Mile Run Trail The grand opening of the I-395 underpass section of the Four Mile Run Trail, originally scheduled for May 2nd but now pushed back to May 30th, marks the beginning of a new era for Arlington County's Four Mile Run Trail. The goal of this two-year, $4.5 million project was to create a safe and direct connection from the S. Shirlington Rd. intersection (which is where the W&OD trail terminates) to the path along S. Glebe Rd. About 3000 feet of new trail development later, trail "regulars" like Colin Dixon of Phoenix Bikes will tell you: mission accomplished. Bicycle commuters can enjoy the (potentially) ten minutes of extra rest in the morning and families can finally feel safe taking the kids for a ride into DC. We can thank local government and bicycle/pedestrian advocacy groups for their hard work and dedication in making this happen. As for the remaining section of the trail between the underpass (mile marker 5.5) and the trail terminus (7.5), it may not be gorgeous (except in a post-modern, industrial kind of way), but it gets the job done. The trail parallels the north side of Four Mile Run, which at this point is a broad river developed with flood-control measures and multi-purposed as an electricity power line corridor. After a series of bridge underpasses, the trail merges into the Mt. Vernon Trail near the south end of Reagan National Airport. If DC is your final destination, head just a little over two miles north to the 14th St. bridge trail. Trail Stats: About two miles from S. Shirlington Rd. (map) to the terminus Trail Type: Paved, multi-use Administration: Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Share/Save/Bookmark Tags: Northern Virginia Hike Bike