Public Views Preliminary Designs of River Road Bike Path

On Thursday, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Engineering shared preliminary designs for the River Road Bike Path Project -- a path the agency hopes to have ready for bikers by Spring 2013.

The meeting at displayed diagrams and maps of where the bike path will be in Potomac, the path's relation to the road and the general timeline for the project.

The project, which will go along the north side of River Road from Riverwood Drive to River Oaks Lane, will fill in a gap in the existing 2.7 miles of hiker and biker path connecting neighborhoods and Potomac Village.

The Department of Transportation is about 30 percent into the design phase, said Senior Manager of the department, Daniel Sheridan. Public meetings like Thursday's allow the public to comment on the design and offer input, he added.

The department will finalize the bike path's design by fall 2011, Sheridan said. After that, the department will speak with nearby landowners about the path's right of way -- a task that will hopefully be completed by Summer 2012, he added.

The six-month construction process will begin is Fall 2012 and finish in Spring 2013.