Beach Drive, Almost Ready

Sometime around the first of August, the contractor finished the paving work on the stretch of Beach Drive between Joyce Road and the Maryland line. In late July, the last layer of asphalt was not down, then in August I saw the asphalt down and pedestrians and bicyclists heading down. The cyclist I stopped told me that the road was now open all the way.

In fact, signs remain up saying that pedestrians and cyclists may not enter. At the transition points of Joyce Road, Wise Road, West Beach Drive, and the Maryland line, it is more or less inconvenient to pass through the barriers--only the skinniest pedestrians can pass two abreast, and only the most practiced cyclists can pass through at speed. But bunches of people go through them.

I suppose that the road remains closed for some work on bridges, and perhaps for the removal of some equipment. Last weekend there was  a small road roller at the foot of Bingham Road, and a compressed gas tank, with some other material, on the bridge over Pinehurst Branch. The roller and gas tank are now gone, but some material remains on the sidewalk of the bridge.

The practical effect of the closure is now negligible for weekend runners, walkers, and cyclists. The area between Joyce Road and picnic grove 10 is closed off, as it otherwise would not be on weekends; but there is little enough motor traffic on that stretch then. Of course the practical effect of the closure is substantial during the week for drivers who wish get into the park above Military Road and still can't.

The pavement is vastly better than it was before the work began. One had to run carefully to avoid potholes, then, now any irregularities are trivial. Will Morrow Road up to Carter-Barron be next? The pavement is pretty bad on it in places.