Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge

 

The Foundry Branch Trestle is how the Washington and Great Falls Electric Railway Company crossed Foundry Branch stream on it's way from Georgetown to Glen Echo.  It was built in 1896 and streetcars used the trestle until 1960. Since then it has stood alone in the woods, easily visible from Canal Road near Georgetown University.

The trees have grown up around  the Pratt truss bridge and vines work their way in from both sides, but you can still see most of it.

 

End of the trestle

WMATA (Metrobus/Metrorail) now owns the trestle and a determined it was unsafe. In 2016 the area was fenced off so you couldn't go under the trestle. Prior to that, the Glover-Archbold Trail ran under it.  Since then, WMATA has been trying to get permission to demolish it.

 Even though you can't walk right up to it (unless you crawl through a hole in the fence, which I did not do and don't recomend you do), you can get some pretty good views of it.  You can walk up a hill and see it from the top, if you are careful to avoid the plentiful poison ivy. Here's a view looking over one of the fences at the eastern end of the bridge.

Like a tree needs a bicycle

This is actually my favorite part. At the top of the east end of the trestle someone put a bike in the fork of a tree.  Over the years, the tree has swallowed the bike and only the seat and back of the frame can be seen, the rest is embedded in the tree.

Just last week, approval was given to demolish the Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge, the concrete trestle footers will remain, but the rest of it will be destroyed.

 

Tunnel under the canal

There are a few ways to get to the bridge which is right where Foxhall Road joins Canal Road. You can hike south on the Glover-Archbold trail, you could park in the neighborhoods nearby and walk down Foxhall Rd, or, what I think is the best way: you can access it from the C and O canal or Capital Crescent Trail.  There is a pedestrian underpass that goes under the canal and Canal Road, taking you right there.