The new bridge over Meadow Creek between Locust Avenue and Lochlyn Hill was installed this week! There is still work to be done on the approaches, so be alert to continuing construction. This bridge will allow us to open a connection from the main RT loop to the trails through Pen Park and Dunlora. Also, the City will be developing an improved path along the north side of the creek, connecting to Holmes and running parallel to the rustic RT on the south side. The bridge is a proffer by the Lochlyn Hills development.

From the end of Locust Avenue/Meghan Court, the new bridge is at the bottom of the hill when you first reach the creek.

Thanks to a partnership with the Willoughby Neighborhood, the Rivanna Trail loop now follows Moore's Creek between 5th Street Station and Jordan Park, eliminating a long road walk along 5th Street. Improved bridges have gone in, and the August work party gave the stretch a good mowing. We've started installing RT signage and blazes--updating our maps and the RTF app are still to come.

The segment has a number of connections to the neighborhood that are not public--please respect the residents' generosity in making this section available by staying on only the main path.

The Woolen Mills redevelopment includes a bridge over Moore's Creek that will close a major gap in the southeast segment of the RT. A recent story on CBS19 News, containing an interview with RTF board member John Lewis, highlights the importance of this project to completing the RT loop.

https://www.cbs19news.com/content/news/Woolen-Mills-project-will-boost-Rivanna-Trail-511927151.html

Construction is scheduled to begin this week on a new bridge over Meadow Creek, from the Locust/Holmes segment of the RT to the development at Lochlyn Hill. The work should not impact the Rivanna Trail, but there may be brief closures as equipment moves in and out from Megan Court.

The new bridge will provide a direct connection between the Rivanna Trail loop and Pen Park, linking to the River North trails.

A segment of the Rivanna Trail just south of Ivy Road will be closed May 28-31, between the hours of 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Signage and fencing will be installed, and flaggers will be monitoring the operations and use of the trail. Users of the trail will want to use the various spur trails on Observatory Hill to connect to nearby streets and bypass the work site.

Construction has commenced on a sewer line project to serve the new development planned for the site of the former Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center. The project runs through the end of the year; while additional closures may be required, the project crew will minimize impacts to the RT and keep closures to a minimum.

For the duration of the project, safety fencing and signage will be in place to provide a safety barrier and prevent access to the construction site.

Robust bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improves the quality of life for all residents. The recently-completed Jefferson Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan maps a comprehensive network of bike lanes, sidewalks, and shared use paths that connect Charlottesville and Albemarle neighborhoods to schools, shopping, downtown and natural areas. The Rivanna Trail is one piece of that network, the expansion of which is of vital importance to our community.

Deer hunting will cease in Dunlora's common area at 9:00 A.M., Friday, March 15th. Culling will resume around mid-August.

This is to notify Dunlora residents and surrounding areas (including users of the River North spur of the RT) that deer culling will begin on December 21, 2018. The impacted area is the southeast corner of Dunlora, on the west side of the open field along the Rivanna River.

As a reminder:

• Hunting hours are 5 a.m. – 9 a.m. seven days a week until possibly mid‐March.

• Hunting area is noted on the attached map and will be marked with signs on trails and nearby areas. Residents and neighboring communities will be notified if the hunting area changes.

• Keep pets on a leash in hunting area during hunting hours.

• Be alert and avoid hunting area. Wear bright clothing if in vicinity during hunting hours.