In January, the eastern Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring was expected to reopen in Summer 2026. By July the forecast was Fall 2026. By September it was Spring 2027. That is three forecasts in nine months, each one later than the one before, according to a Montgomery County Council staff memo prepared for the Transportation and Environment Committee's October 5 work session.
For anyone who starts a run or ride in downtown Bethesda, the practical result is easy to state. The paved trail out of town keeps going in one direction this winter, southwest toward Georgetown. The other direction is still a street detour. Plan around that, and the next few months on the trail get much simpler.
Three Forecasts in Nine Months
The memo lays out the slippage in a short table.
| When the forecast was reported | Target opening for the Capital Crescent Trail |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | Summer 2026 |
| July 2026 | Fall 2026 |
| September 2026 | Spring 2027 |
The Maryland Transit Administration gives two reasons for the latest delay. Some property access arrangements needed to finish work along the trail came later than planned, and inspections turned up corrective work. The memo also says the Purple Line team "has left open the possibility that the trail may not be completed prior to the opening of the Purple Line."
A second dependency sits on the county's side. The trail can't open until Montgomery County's Department of Transportation finishes its Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 3 project. That project connects the on-street cycletrack on Willow Lane to the old Georgetown Branch right-of-way across Elm Street.
One partial option is under consideration. MTA is evaluating a phased approach that would open the trail between Elm Street and Connecticut Avenue first, while heavier construction continues east of Connecticut. No date has been attached to that first phase.
What the Eastern Trail Looks Like Right Now
The trail segment was 74.3% complete as of July 31, 2026, the newest figure in MTA's September report to the Maryland General Assembly. The same memo puts the overall Purple Line project at 92% complete, and the trail is one of the largest pieces still outstanding.
The work MTA described in that report shows where each stretch stands:
- Fencing and paving preparation between Bethesda and Connecticut Avenue
- Paving east from Connecticut Avenue toward Jones Mill Road
- Grading of the base layer from Jones Mill Road toward Talbot Avenue
- Retaining-wall work toward the Silver Spring Transit Center
The stretch closest to downtown Bethesda is furthest along, and that is why it's the one being considered for an early opening. At the Silver Spring end, the advocacy group Purple Line NOW reported in its September 23 newsletter that the section from the Talbot Street bridge toward the Silver Spring Metro and the Metropolitan Branch Trail was still a construction zone.
When the trail does open, the finished route will cross over major roads and creeks instead of at street level. The Purple Line project's trail connections page lists planned bridges over Connecticut Avenue and Colesville Road and underpasses at Jones Mill Road, 16th Street and Spring Street. The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail's page on the Purple Line and the trail describes a new trail bridge over Rock Creek with a switchback down to the Rock Creek Trail. None of those crossings is open to the public yet.
The Detour Still Carries the East-West Trip
Heading toward Silver Spring this winter still means taking the Georgetown Branch Interim Trail. The Purple Line updates page lists that detour, which began in September 2017, with an end date of December 2026. The long-term pedestrian detour on Wisconsin Avenue, in place since November 14, 2022, carries the same December 2026 end date. Both dates come before the new Spring 2027 trail target, so the posted end dates look likely to be extended.
In downtown Bethesda, the Wisconsin Avenue detour crosses Wisconsin at Elm Street and at Waverly Street, then follows Hampden Lane west to Woodmont Avenue and on to Elm Street.
The interim route east is a mix of roads and park paths. According to the Purple Line's Georgetown Branch fact sheet, it uses Jones Bridge Road, Jones Mill Road, Susanna Lane, Rock Creek Park, Freyman Drive, Grubb Road, Spencer Road and Rosemary Hills Park. The Stewart Avenue trailhead is marked closed.
A few new pieces of the eventual Bethesda connection have been built. The county's Capital Crescent Surface Trail Phase 2 is a 10-foot shared-use path on 47th Street running from Willow Avenue to the Elm Street Park Promenade. Project photos dated August 6, 2026, show portions of it completed.
The longer-term link under Wisconsin Avenue has no schedule. The county describes a separate trail tunnel of about 1,000 feet. It would start on the west side of 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, pass through the building's lower parking level and under Wisconsin Avenue and Elm Street, and come out at the surface trail in Elm Street Park. Bethesda Magazine reported in January that the tunnel's cost estimate exceeded $82.5 million and that it was left out of the County Executive's proposed FY2027–32 capital budget.
The Direction That Works: Bethesda to Georgetown
The continuous trail runs southwest. The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail places the Bethesda trailhead between public Lot 31 and the Ourisman dealership, with Garage 57 less than a block away and Bethesda Metro reachable along Woodmont Avenue.
The Coalition's points of interest guide puts mileage on the landmarks along the way:
- Massachusetts Avenue, mile 5.2
- Little Falls Trail connection, mile 6.0
- Dalecarlia Tunnel, mile 6.2
- Maryland and D.C. line, mile 6.7
- Arizona Avenue Bridge, mile 7.7
- Fletcher's, mile 8.2
- Foundry Branch Tunnel, mile 9.8
The same guide lists other landmarks along the route: River Road Bridge and Neal Potter Plaza, Loughborough Mill, Fort Sumner and Battery Bailey, the Dalecarlia Reservoir rest area, the Abner Cloud House near Fletcher's, and Thompson Boat Center on the Georgetown waterfront.
The National Park Service manages the 3.7 miles from the Maryland line to Water Street and lists that section as open. The Georgetown end has its own work zone, though. The C&O Canal current conditions page, updated October 14, 2026, lists a local detour near the Potomac Aqueduct. DC Water's notice says trail traffic was moved north around the Water Street work for the Potomac River Tunnel starting May 6, 2026. It also warned of drilling, truck traffic and noise nearby.
The NPS-managed miles are also due for repairs. The Park Service plans to resurface that section, fix deteriorated walls, railings, slopes, signs and striping, and repair the Arizona Avenue Bridge, with phased construction expected to begin in 2027. So the open route has one more uninterrupted winter before its own construction starts.
Planning a Winter Outing Around the Open Half
On the open half, plan around water and restrooms. The Coalition's access page lists a water fountain at the Bethesda trailhead and another at the mile-6.5 rest stop near Dalecarlia, and counts Fletcher's as a water stop. It also says there are no public restrooms directly on the trail. The closest option on the Bethesda end is a portable toilet in the Bethesda Outdoor Pool parking lot on Little Falls Parkway. The Coalition's page carries no date, so confirm these facilities in person.
Fletcher's Cove makes a good turnaround point. As of the Park Service's October 14 update, the parking lot and access road there were open, the restrooms were open, and potable water was on at both the upper and lower lots. An out-and-back from the Bethesda trailhead to Fletcher's at mile 8.2 avoids the Georgetown work zone entirely.
For parking, the Coalition points to the Bethesda Pool lots by Little Falls Parkway, the shops near MacArthur Boulevard and Sangamore Road, and Fletcher's. Parking at the Georgetown end is limited to metered spaces on Water and K streets and nearby paid garages. The short days of November and December are the other thing to plan for. The Coalition's safety guidance tells trail users to use lights after dark.
The trailhead also has its own shops. Griffin Cycle, a family-owned bike shop at 4933 Bethesda Avenue two blocks west of the trail, offers repairs and rentals. For coffee before or after, the Bethesda Row directory lists Quartermaine Coffee at 4817 Bethesda Avenue and Bethesda Bagels next door at 4819, both with order-ahead links. Eat Sprout is around the corner at 4926 Elm Street. Check each shop's hours before heading out on a cold morning.
The next real change is likely to come in pieces. The first would be the stretch between Elm Street and Connecticut Avenue, if MTA goes ahead with a phased opening. Until then, the Purple Line updates page is the place to check for new detour dates and openings.
The trail is one of the things we talk about most when clients ask what daily life in Bethesda is like. At Pearlman Meekin & Co., we keep up with changes like these so our advice is current. If you want to talk about how the trail, the Purple Line, or the blocks around Elm Street Park fit into your plans, book a consultation with our team.
