Three bicycle infrastructure projects in Bethesda and the MacArthur Boulevard corridor are moving toward construction as part of a county-wide push to add nearly 20 miles of new bike-friendly pathways, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation announced Aug. 10.

The biggest local change: a project adding 2.3 miles of improved pathway along the MacArthur Boulevard corridor between I-495 and the D.C. line is now entering construction. The work will widen the existing shared-use path on the south side of MacArthur Boulevard to eight feet of pavement with a five-foot grass buffer separating cyclists and pedestrians from traffic. The roadway itself will also gain a consistent 26-foot width with three-foot shoulders on each side.

The full corridor spans 4.7 miles through the Bethesda/Cabin John area. Construction had originally been estimated to begin in late 2025, according to MCDOT's project page.

Closer to downtown, the Woodmont Avenue Cycle Track Phase 2 will start construction in fall 2026. The 0.4-mile project connects the existing Phase 1 cycle track to a developer-built section, according to the Bethesda Bikeway project page. It is rooted in the 2017 Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan.

A third Bethesda project, the Montgomery Avenue Phase 2 bikeway (0.2 miles), is in right-of-way acquisition and permitting. A fourth, the Cheltenham Drive Bikeway (0.08 miles), is completing its 95% design phase.

Altogether, MCDOT is advancing more than 20 bicycle projects county-wide. The county currently maintains 112 miles of bike lanes, bike-friendly shoulders and separated cycle tracks, having added more than 17 miles since 2022.

"We are redesigning our roadways to allow for more modes of transportation and better connections to our communities, schools, and job centers," County Executive Marc Elrich said in the announcement.

MCDOT Director Chris Conklin said the investments are creating corridors that are safer and better connected, supporting surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.

Three other projects already under construction touch the broader area: a 0.25-mile section of the Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring, with an estimated summer 2026 completion; the Metropolitan Branch Trail Phase 2A in Silver Spring (0.6 miles, early 2027); and a neighborhood greenway along McComas Avenue in Wheaton (1.2 miles, late 2026).

Residents who want to track the projects or provide input can join the Montgomery County Bicycle Action Group through montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot. The project contact for the Bethesda Bikeway is Kevin Minn at 240-777-7228; for MacArthur Boulevard, Angel Cheng at 240-777-7274.