Fifty-seven years ago, plans were rapidly ramping up for what was to be a vehicular parkway basically tracing what is now known at the C&O National Park.

Thanks to Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who challenged the Washington media to walk the expanse alongside him, sentiment shifted and the narrow ribbon of wilderness was preserved as a natural sanctuary.

Had the highway been built, and had the great flood of a decade ago washed away a significant section of roadbed, great energy would have been spent to make repairs, and the project would have been completed in a matter of months, if not weeks.

But because the paramecium-shaped park turned out to be home to more relaxed forms of transport - bicycles, horses and booted feet - the damage has gone unmended, leaving nearly three miles of the towpath impassable.

The breach is above Big Slackwater, a mellow, lake-like riverbend created by Dam # 4, once part of the canal's water-feeder systems.

The detour around the break means that cyclists must negotiate a tricky set of narrow back roads, fighting for space alongside boat-towing pickups in a hurry to get to the boat launch.

The roads have a number of blind humps, and are unspeakably dangerous and somewhat unfriendly. Several years ago, an inspired motorist spray-painted "no bikes" at several points in the pavement.

Some cyclists unfamiliar with the situation reckon that it's just a "suggested" detour. I've watched them, against advice, plunge their pack-laden bicycles into the forested trail, only to return a half-hour later spitting brambles and sandstone. 

To its great credit, the Washington County delegation wants to fix this, and is sponsoring a $200,000 bond bill that would help fund an engineering study for the project, which may take $15 million to complete (although it's hoped to be less).

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