Rivnuts from Homestead, PA on 2/13/2020 8:36:32 AM:
I presume you are referring to "Shepherdstown". The route from the C&O Towpath to Shepherdstown across the Hwy 34/Shepherdstown Pike bridge is reasonably safe. First, the car traffic across that bridge is generally not very heavy. Second, you can ride the sidewalk along the road rather than the road itself if you so choose. There is little pedestrian traffic on sidewalk even as it passes along Shepherdstown University.
Note that the route from the Towpath to the bridge above is not well marked and can be easily missed if you are not aware or looking for it. It is a switchback path that begins on the upriver side of the bridge before you get to Lock 38. You can see it clearly in Google Maps' satellite view.