Arlington-Alexandria Bridge To Close To All Vehicle Traffic On May 9

ARLINGTON/ALEXANDRIA, VA — Engineers are planning to close the West Glebe Road Bridge to all vehicle traffic starting Monday, May 9 for construction of a replacement.

During construction, detours will be available through the Interstate 395 ramp to Shirlington Circle, and through the bridge at the intersection of Mount Vernon Ave. and South Glebe Road. The project is scheduled for completion by summer 2023, according to Arlington County.

One sidewalk will remain open for pedestrian and bike traffic until June, and then people will be detoured to a temporary pedestrian walkway, which will be built next to the bridge and is expected to open in July.

Arlington County and the City of Alexandria are working together on the bridge replacement project. Crews will be mobilizing later this week in preparation for the start of construction.

The current structure connecting Arlington and Alexandria over Four Mile Run was built in 1956. Parts of the structure have deteriorated in recent years, officials said.

In 2018, a 5-ton weight restriction was placed on all vehicles using the bridge. Last month, all southbound traffic was detoured away from the bridge due to continued structural beam degradation.

In April 2021, the Arlington County Board approved a $9.89 million contract to Corman Kokosing Construction Company to replace the West Glebe Road Bridge. The bridge’s original piers are stable and will be used to support the new superstructure, reducing project costs, construction time and impact on the watershed, officials said.

Artist Vicki Scuri also was retained by Corman Kokosing Construction to provide art elements that will enhance the bridge aesthetically, provide additional lighting on the Four Mile Run trail and connect the design of the bridge to the communities of Arlington and Alexandria.

Two lanes on the renovated bridge are expected to reopen to vehicles in early 2023, along with one of two widened sidewalks. The entire project is scheduled for completion by summer 2023.

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