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Contact: Erin Barlow, 202-578-9118
McLean, Va. – The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on a proposed project to rehabilitate and replace the Clara Barton Parkway cantilever structure and associated retaining walls, as well as demolish an associated unused bridge in Montgomery County, Maryland. Comments will be accepted from March 17 through April 16, 2025.Recent Federal Highway Administration inspections of the cantilever structure have determined that widespread corrosion may require the NPS to implement weight restrictions on the Clara Barton Parkway or completely close the inside northbound and southbound lanes to traffic for safety in the future. The roadway is safe for travel. This would cause substantial traffic impacts. The Clara Barton Parkway is an essential thoroughfare in the area with approximately 40,000 daily users.
Additionally, the Glen Echo overpass, built in 1961, was part of a plan to expand the Clara Barton Parkway that was later abandoned. The bridge is unused and deteriorating. Since it requires regular inspections, maintenance and potentially expensive repairs, the NPS is considering removing it.
How to get involved and provide input:
Play a crucial role in the preliminary engineering and planning process. Your feedback will be used to refine project designs and support the analysis of any environmental impacts in an Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA is required to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Learn more about the project and consider providing input in the following ways:
- Virtual public meeting: The NPS will host a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. EST on the GoTo Webinar platform. The meeting will last approximately 1.5‐hours and there will be an opportunity to submit questions.
At the time of the meeting, join on your computer or mobile device and provide your name and email address to enter the virtual platform. If you do not have GoTo Webinar downloaded, you will be prompted to install the Goto Webinar app on your computer or download the app on your mobile device.
You can call into the meeting (no video) using the toll-free phone number 1-877-309-2074 and Phone Webinar ID: 674-488-941.
To request a reasonable accommodation, please email laurel_hammig@nps.gov.
- Online: Submit comments by April 16, 2025. View additional information at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/clbacantilever. The link to submit comments will be available on the left-hand side of the page. The recording of the public meeting will be posted at this site.
- Mail: Mail your written comments postmarked by April 16, 2025, to:
Superintendent
Attn: Clara Barton Cantilever
700 George Washington Memorial Parkway
McLean, VA 22101
Please be aware that the entire comment submitted, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as address, phone number, and email address may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such PII from public release will be considered, but there is no guarantee it will be withheld.
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More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s more than 430 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Last updated: March 10, 2025