The Purple Line and the new Capital Crescent Trail run on the same strip of land through Chevy Chase, but they are on separate schedules. On October 6, a Maryland Transit Administration official told the Montgomery County Council that the light rail's contractual completion date "does remain December 30, 2027." He also said the actual opening date is "dynamic" and depends on safety testing, as Bethesda Magazine reported. The trail next to it has a different timeline. Montgomery County's capital budget estimates the main trail along the Purple Line alignment will be finished by Spring 2027.
So the corridor's first big change will be the trail, and it fixes a specific problem. The signed detour now in use crosses Connecticut Avenue at street level and follows Jones Mill Road on sidewalks. The finished trail goes over the first and under the second.
Two Timelines on One Corridor
The dates below come from different agencies, and each one measures a different milestone. Read together, they show the order things are expected to happen in, even though no single date is locked.
| Milestone | Date given | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Branch Interim Trail pedestrian closure | September 2017 through December 2026 | Purple Line detours page |
| Trail reopening, per trail advocates | Tentatively fall 2026 | Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail |
| Main trail along the Purple Line alignment complete | Spring 2027 estimate | Montgomery County capital project page |
| Purple Line construction contract end | December 30, 2027 | Bethesda Magazine, Oct. 6, 2026 |
| Purple Line date raised at the council meeting | April 2028, asked about but not confirmed | Bethesda Magazine, Oct. 6, 2026 |
The April 2028 date came from Committee Chair Evan Glass. He told officials there was "another date floating around" and asked whether it was more realistic. The MTA's Ray Biggs said the outcome "can go either way" and that the date will become more certain as testing continues. Construction is more than 92% complete, and light rail vehicle testing is underway across the route, according to an MTA release covered by Bethesda Magazine on October 7. The same release says vehicle testing will expand in 2027.
Even the most optimistic train date and the most cautious trail date are months apart. Whichever trail estimate turns out right, Chevy Chase should be walking and riding the new path long before trains carry passengers next to it.
The Detour Crosses the Two Spots the New Trail Bridges
The official alternate route between Bethesda and Silver Spring uses sidewalks and park paths. Heading east from Bethesda, it goes like this:
- Woodmont, Montgomery, and Pearl avenues, then Maryland Avenue
- Jones Bridge Road
- Across Connecticut Avenue
- Jones Mill Road to Susanna Lane
- Into Rock Creek Park, exiting near Freyman Drive
- Terrace and Grubb, then Spencer Road and Rosemary Hills Park
Riders headed back toward Bethesda follow the same Rock Creek Park access near Susanna Lane, then Jones Mill Road, Jones Bridge Road, and Connecticut Avenue. The notice also gives southbound and westbound cyclists a Cheltenham Drive option.
Steps three and four are the ones the finished trail removes. The county describes a largely 12-foot-wide hard-surface trail with a new bridge over Connecticut Avenue and an underpass beneath Jones Mill Road. It also includes landscaping and lighting at trail junctions, underpasses, and other critical locations. The Purple Line's trail connections page gives the same 12-foot paved width, adds 2-foot buffers on each side, and lists underpasses at Jones Mill Road, 16th Street, and Spring Street.
For anyone who has spent the last several years on the detour, that means the two busiest road crossings on the route become grade-separated. A loop from Bethesda toward Rock Creek will no longer need a walk signal at Connecticut Avenue.
East of Jones Mill Road, the trail meets one of its oldest landmarks. The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail identifies the railroad trestle over Rock Creek at mile 1.1 and describes the observation bump-outs on the existing bridge. Separately, the Purple Line's project overview says its construction includes bridges over Rock Creek. The sources reviewed don't say whether the trestle itself is part of this phase's work, so its condition at reopening is still an open question.
What the Detour Walks Past on Connecticut Avenue
The detour's Connecticut Avenue crossing puts trail traffic on the same avenue as Chevy Chase Lake. That's the mixed-use cluster near the future Connecticut Avenue station, and it filled in while the trail was closed.
The newest anchor there is Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream at 8551 Connecticut Ave., Suite B202. Bethesda Magazine reported in March that the shop had been open since late February 2026 and planned a grand opening for April 4 and 5. The shop's own site lists the Chevy Chase location as open.
Sarah's has neighbors that came before it. In January 2026, Bethesda Magazine listed Elena James, Ro Sushi Co., and Playa Bowls at Chevy Chase Lake and noted that Dok Khao had opened the previous July. Uncorked is also part of the cluster. It supplied the wine and beer for the free Sips & Sounds evenings held there on four Wednesdays in June 2026.
One storefront is still unopened. Osteria Divina has been advertised at 3820 Chaplin Place. As of Bethesda Magazine's January 21 report, its "Coming Soon" signage was up and its timeline was unclear. A December 2025 MoCo Show item also said no opening date had been announced. The research found no later confirmation, so as of mid-October it's best treated as pending.
This retail filled in during years when the trail beside it was fenced off. When the bridge over Connecticut Avenue opens, people on the trail will pass these storefronts on foot without crossing the road, and the businesses will get their first season with the corridor fully open.
The Fall Calendar Off the Corridor
While the trail stays closed, the season's regular events are on neighborhood streets away from the construction.
Section 3 of the Village of Chevy Chase runs a farmers market on Taylor Street between Georgia Street and Brookville Road on Saturdays, October 17, 24, and 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The calendar notes parking is available at La Ferme. The same Section 3 calendar lists:
- Oktoberfest & Cornhole Tournament, Gazebo Park, Saturday, Oct. 17, 5 to 7 p.m., registration required
- Halloween Parade, starting at Gazebo Park, Saturday, Oct. 31, 5:45 p.m.
Chevy Chase Village holds its Halloween Party and Costume Parade at Village Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., according to the Village calendar.
That same evening, the Purple Line holds its virtual Community Advisory Team meeting for Bethesda and Chevy Chase, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It's one of seven online sessions in October where MTA and project officials cover upcoming milestones and the 2027 expansion of vehicle testing, and take questions from residents and business owners, Bethesda Magazine reported. For households on both lists, the meeting overlaps with most of the Village party.
Where the Dates Could Still Move
The public sources don't agree on timing, and the differences show where the uncertainty lies.
On the trail, the Purple Line's FAQ estimates that trail construction will finish in 2026. It adds that remaining work could affect timing and that the county will open the trail when it's safe and feasible to do so. The detours page still lists the interim trail closure through December 2026 and describes construction between Elm Street Park and Rock Creek Park continuing through fall 2026. The county's Spring 2027 estimate is the latest of the three. That estimate sits alongside a separately scheduled 47th Street and Elm Street Park trail connection and a reconstruction of Elm Street Park itself. One likely reading is that part of the trail reopens first and the full alignment is finished a few months later. None of the sources gives a specific reopening day.
On the train, the FAQ gives a "Winter 2027" opening estimate, and the contract runs to December 30, 2027. April 2028 has been raised but not adopted. The MTA has said the final date depends on safety testing, and that testing expands next year.
Even in the latest version of each timeline, the trail is expected to open first. The bridge over Connecticut Avenue and the underpass at Jones Mill Road are the first parts of the project that will change daily routes in Chevy Chase.
If you're thinking about how the trail's reopening and the Purple Line's opening schedule fit with your plans for your Chevy Chase home, Abrams Residential can go through the dates with you and what each one could mean for your street. Schedule a complimentary home strategy consultation.