Tunnel Vision: The History and "Light at the End" of the New Capital Crescent Trail Tunnel

Right photo: Day of Tunnel Opening Dedication (looking east into tunnel), August 1998
Left photo: Day before Tunnel Closing (looking west out of tunnel), September 2017

The opening of the tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue and the Apex building for the Capital Crescent Trail in 1998 was a very long-fought battle and a huge accomplishment for trail advocates. It was celebrated and announced that "An Open Tunnel is a Joy Forever." Well....not forever. The trail and tunnel closing in 2017, nineteen years later, for the construction of the Purple Line - with no other "safe solution" in place - was met with a good deal of frustration, confusion, and disappointment. Now trail advocates will have to make sure the new tunnel actually re-opens - and does so in a timely manner  (these kinds of projects have a habit of facing major delays). 

The Success of the Trail and Tunnel

The tunnel was well used. By 2016 permanent counters at the trail location in Bethesda counted 854,945 trail users that year. 60% were pedestrians and 40% were bikers. That averages out to more than 2,300 users per day. *numbers from Montgomery Planning Department report on Reed Street 10/2017

In fact, the tunnel was such a success that one of the reasons redevelopment of the Apex site was incentivized through the Purple Line Minor Master Plan Amendment was to allow for a new tunnel to be constructed. There had also been many years worth of political, planning, and financial drama (and hundreds of documents and articles) over the redevelopment of the Apex building and the inclusion of a new tunnel if and when the redevelopment occurred and Purple Line project proceeded. 

"Heaven and Earth have been moved, literally and figuratively, to get this project done, specifically to get this trail underneath," the Chair of the Planning Board stated. Thus, with the redevelopment of the Apex building moving forward, it was determined that plans would include a trail tunnel route and surface route - but there s still the matter that they needed to be fully designed....and funded. Article: Planning-Board-Chairman-Bethesda-Capital-Crescent-Trail-Tunnel/

New Tunnel Design and Construction 
The County has now allocated $3.8 million to start tunnel design - but does not yet have the money set aside to construct the tunnel. The new tunnel has been estimated to cost $15-30 million dollars -- although the recent response by the PL Partners/MTA/DOT indicated that "there was not enough information to estimate the cost of the future tunnel under Wisconsin at this time." Whatever the cost, these funds will need to be included in an upcoming CIP budget. It should be noted that the new tunnel design will not be as large or wide a tunnel as exists today. The future tunnel opening is reported to be approximately 16 feet wide by 14 feet high. COUNCIL- Purple Line T&E - QandA

Trail/Tunnel Opening Rendering

Start the Countdown
So start the countdown 📆.... officials have said construction of the Purple Line and Trail will be complete in 4-5 years (though the recent Purple Line Partners/MTA/DOT written answers to community and Council questions about tunnel construction did not give a timeframe.) The trail and tunnel have been closed for 2 months already. That means the "inside" date for the trail to be up and running could be just 3 years, 10 months away!? What are the odds that will happen? Will the tunnel be funded, constructed, and open by then as well? Will the surface route be completely in place by then as well? 

Bethesda Magazine article on Trail/Tunnel Funding

Other crossing considerations.....
It is timely to note that the (granted) more complicated and involved 355 BRAC Tunnel Wisconsin crossing about a mile north has increased significantly in cost since it was first introduced. Will this new trail tunnel project see the same fate? 
Article: Cost-of-Rockville-Pike-Tunnel-Metro-Elevators-Project-Increasing-by-36-Million

Some great historical photos from the tunnel opening in 1998..... 

From the Coalition of the Capital Crescent Trail newsletters

www.cctrail.org-newsletter

The light at the start of the tunnel....the light at the end of the tunnel...

Description of the Trail and Tunnel Facilities in the Purple Line Minor Master Amendment with the Redevelopment of the Apex Building...