Arlington Memorial Bridge To Be Shut Down Next Week

ARLINGTON, VA -- Recent high water in the Potomac River has forced the National Park Service to delay work on the Arlington Memorial Bridge again, and the agency now plans to shut down the bridge on Sept. 28.

The bridge will be totally closed to cars, bikes, and pedestrians for the entire weekend, starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28 and ending at 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 1.

During the closure, boaters should approach the bridge with caution and avoid the area near the center span. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians will have to find alternate routes.

“Please do not enter the closed area. Illegal entry will slow work on the bridge because construction activities will have to stop until people leave the area,” Superintendent Alexcy Romero said in a NPS statement.

The NPS adds in the statement:

During this closure, work crews will:

• Move barges on the Potomac River
• Bring a crane next to the bridge on a barge
• Cut holes in the bridge deck’s center span
• Lower steel supports into the bed of the Potomac River through the holes in the bridge deck
• Cover holes in the bridge deck to allow drivers to use the bridge again

When we begin work to replace the bridge’s road deck around mid-October, we will close three lanes and a sidewalk to all use. During that work, we will change the traffic pattern and sign detours for pedestrians and cyclists. The closure from September 14 to 17 is to prepare the bridge for that work and needs to happen now so that we are prepared to begin work on time. We are coordinating this closure with neighboring departments of transportation, emergency responders, and river users. Learn about how construction will change the ways you use the bridge at go.nps.gov/MemorialBridge.

Image via National Park Service