Prince George's County to Close Kirkwood Pedestrian Bridge March 5-6, 2026

The Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Department of Parks and Recreation said the Kirkwood Pedestrian Bridge on the Northwest Branch Trail in Riverdale will be closed March 5-6, 2026 for the entire day both days to allow planned maintenance, interrupting the trail’s river crossing and prompting detours for pedestrians and cyclists. Trail users should expect posted reroutes and possible delays on nearby trail segments and access points during the two-day closure.

M-NCPPC described the work as necessary to confront the bridge’s deteriorating condition. “The project will address the bridge’s aging condition and help ensure the continued safe use of the trail,” the commission said. The release added that “the project includes repairs and improvements to aging bridge components and related construction activities necessary to maintain safety and extend the service life of the structure.”

Officials were explicit that the closure is a full-day action to accommodate on-site repairs. “The pedestrian bridge will be temporarily closed on March 5-6, 2026, for the entire day to support maintenance activities,” the commission wrote, and warned that “the Northwest Branch Trail will be interrupted at the river crossing.” The notice also said that “detours will be posted for pedestrians and cyclists” and that “temporary congestion may occur on nearby trail segments and access points,” but it did not include mapped detour routes or the exact detour staging locations.

M-NCPPC committed to ongoing community communications and promised visuals and timelines once they are ready. The Feb. 27, 2026 release said the commission will provide a draft rendering of the final renovation design, a tentative project timeline on its website, and ongoing video and photo updates, plus advance signage and construction site logistics to minimize inconvenience. The same web page also notes that summer day camp registration begins March 7, a separate item on the parks commission’s news page.

Nearby planning work by Montgomery County is related to the Northwest Branch corridor but represents a separate project and agency. Montgomery County held a March 6, 2024 public information meeting on a proposed new pedestrian bridge over a tributary between Auth Lane and Kersey Road, listing CIP No. 502505 and inclusion in the recommended FY2025 budget pending funding. That MCDOT presentation named Daniel Sheridan, Brian Copley and Rashid Abramov from Montgomery County Department of Transportation and Michael Mercado of Mercado Consultants, Inc., and traced the Montgomery County project history back to a 1939 right-of-way dedication and community requests beginning in 2020.

The M-NCPPC release did not provide several operational details residents will want to know: it did not name a contractor or provide a cost estimate, it did not publish exact start and finish hours for each closure day, it did not attach detour maps or specify ADA-accessible reroutes, and it did not disclose whether environmental or in-stream permits are required for the repairs. Those items remain outstanding ahead of the March 5-6 work.

Residents can sign up for PGParks Alerts to receive mobile notifications and should check the parks commission’s web notices for posted detour signs, the promised draft rendering and the tentative timeline ahead of the closure. “Our goal is to deliver a revitalized bridge that will not only improve the aesthetic appeal of the bridge but also will ensure longevity and enhance functionality for years to come.”