News Release

Additional closures announced for Arlington Memorial Bridge

Date: October 3, 2018
Contact: Jonathan Shafer, 202-619-7186

WASHINGTON—Due to sustained high, fast water in the Potomac River, construction crews were not able to complete all of the work that was originally scheduled for Arlington Memorial Bridge last weekend. Completing the work will require additional temporary, total closures. The closures are schedule to have the smallest possible effect on drivers, pedestrians and cyclists who use the bridge.

 

The additional closures are scheduled for:

• Wednesday, October 3 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• Thursday, October 4 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• Friday, October 5 at 9 p.m. until Monday, October 8 at 5 a.m.

 

“Our first priority on every project is safety,” George Washington Memorial Parkway Superintendent Alexcy Romero said. “The river was running too high and too fast last weekend to safely have some of the equipment in the Potomac River.”

 

During this closure, we will move barges on the Potomac River and install pilings (long metal poles) through holes in the bridge deck. The pilings will anchor support systems for the bridge during the rehabilitation process.

 

During the last closure, work crews:

 

• Installed poles to support lit signs that will direct drivers in a reversible lane.

• Added a center barrier that will keep drivers safe when work to replace the bridge’s road deck begins later this fall.

• Poured concrete to add support for some of the bridge’s structure.

• Applied striping that will guide drivers during the next phase of work.

• Successfully tested the process for safely removing historic balustrades and stone from the bridge’s sidewalks.

 

Over the next two and a half years, we expect a limited number of full bridge closures on weekends and occasional, short full closures of the bridge at night. The next full weekend closure is tentatively planned for November 2018.

 

The National Park Service invites the public to join us for a public meeting on October 9 to learn more about the project, and to help people plan their travel around the bridge during construction activities. Representatives from the National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration and the project contractor will give a presentation at 6 p.m. Subject matter experts will be on hand to answer questions following the presentation.

 

When: October 9, 2018 at 6 p.m.
Where: National Capital Regional Headquarters in East Potomac Park
1100 Ohio Dr. SW
Washington, DC 20242

 

Signs from the parking lot will direct you to a large meeting trailer located behind an office building. Free parking is available. The headquarters building is roughly one mile from the L’Enfant Metro Station. To request specific accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, please contact Jonathan Shafer at [e-mail] or 202-619-7186 by Wednesday, October 3.

 

Work on Arlington Memorial Bridge began this summer and will continue until early 2021. The $227 million project maintains a vital link in the national capital region’s transportation network.

 

#MoreThanABridge

Since its dedication in 1932, Arlington Memorial Bridge has served as a monument to national sacrifice and valor—a symbol of reunification, spanning the historic divisions of North and South. As one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in National Park Service history, the rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge will give new life to our capital’s ceremonial entrance while respecting its character, history and national significance. Learn more at go.nps.gov/MemorialBridge.