W&OD Trail Bridge Officially Opens With Rainy Ribbon Cutting In Reston

RESTON, VA — Local elected officials and bicycle enthusiasts joined the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and members of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to officially open the W&OD Trail pedestrian bridge over Wiehle Avenue in Reston.

While heavy rain forced the ceremony to take place inside the Reston Fire Station, the weather failed to dampen attendees’ enthusiasm for the project.

“We have a ton of bikers in Fairfax County who come out even in conditions like this,” said Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay, adding he has ridden the trail numerous times. “They are not leisure riders. People commute to their jobs and use biking as an essential way to get around the community. It's fitting that today the weather is like it is out here, and yet the bikers are here, showing up in any weather conditions to support multimodal transportation.”

Financed by federal and state grants, the pedestrian bridge was part of the Reston Metrorail Access Group program, replacing at-grade crossing of the W&OD Trail with a history of crashes. Fairfax County broke ground on the project on May 9, 2023 and the completed bridge opened to the public on July 9.

The addition of a bridge over Wiehle Avenue is expected to eliminate conflicts between trail users and vehicles, as well as reduce the number of rear-end collisions at the intersection, according to Fairfax County.

“This is a really important piece of infrastructure that helps move people in and around Fairfax, and most importantly, for pedestrian safety,” McKay said. “It will save lives.”

“From our perspective, there's a lot of people who want to get out by bicycle and bike to work, bike to shop, bike to Metro, and this helps them make a makes it easier for them and makes it safer,” said Tom Wyland, a transportation advocate and member of the Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling.

Related: Pedestrian Bridge Over Wiehle Avenue In Reston Set To Open: County

A resident of Reston, Wyland uses the W&OD Trail daily, to commute to his job in McLean. The new bridge not only makes it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross Wiehle Avenue, it provides an additional incentive to “to get out there and get there by bike.”