One of the park alerts on the Rock Creek NPS website states:
March 10-14: Soapstone Valley Trail closed
Soapstone Valley Trail will be closed between Broad Branch Road NW and the dead end of Audubon Terrace NW from 3/10 to 3/14. This closure allows for the beginning of a project to repair erosion damage and better manage future stormwater flow.
NPS was true to its word. The trail was closed to hikers on Monday, March 10th.
And the project? Most likely the Linnean gully work that had been scheduled to start in February. The DC Department of Energy and the Environment described the project’s purpose, scope and timeline at ANC 3F’s January meeting.