Conservancy warns two Creeper Trail trestles need major work; closures planned in winter months

Lisa Quigley, executive director of the Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy, told the Washington County Board on Sept. 24 that engineers identified serious deterioration at Trestles 30 and 31 above Taylors Valley and that repairs will require full closures of the trail section above Taylors Valley during heavy work.

Quigley said the U.S. Forest Service, which owns the 32 trestles above Damascus, completed inspections in 2021 and a private firm followed in 2022; those inspections singled out trestles 30 and 31 as needing "significant work," including installation of shoring jacks and core sampling of wooden stringers. "You’re literally stuck in the middle of the forest," she said, explaining that neither trestle has an access road that would allow a detour.

The conservancy asked the board to note the likely December–March window for the bulk of repair work and explained a plan to confine intensive work to a 90‑day period beginning Dec. 1 to minimize peak‑season impact. Quigley said earlier emergency shoring and additional testing pushed bids past prior timelines and created a budget shortfall; she noted the conservancy previously received $387,000 from the county’s ARPA allocation for Trestle 31 and that the U.S. Forest Service transferred approximately $156,000 from Great American Outdoors Act funds to help cover unanticipated costs.

On funding and procurement, Quigley said the conservancy will solicit bids and use nonprofit procurement rules that allow a faster bid process than local-government procurement; she said three contractors have expressed interest and the conservancy expects to mobilize before Dec. 1 to begin work on Dec. 1. The conservancy has built a contingency into the project budget to cover additional risks, including unpredictable material needs and environmental conditions.

Board members pressed staff about public notification and access during closures. Quigley said the conservancy has a signage and outreach plan and will coordinate a public information roll‑out; she described the messaging as "sensitive" to avoid alarming users while being clear that the trail sections will be temporarily inaccessible for safety and repair reasons. She added that closures may be intermittent—"We may close for two weeks and then be open for the next six"—depending on weather and progress.

Why it matters: the Virginia Creeper Trail is a major tourism driver in the region. Quigley said a prolonged closure above Taylors Valley would essentially cut off roughly one‑third of the trail and could harm Damascus’s economy and the larger regional tourism footprint unless repair work proceeds in a tightly managed winter window.

Next steps: the conservancy will finalize bid documents and proceed with solicitation; staff and the conservancy will coordinate public notice and signage ahead of any closures.