Emergency Repairs Completed on Arlington Memorial Bridge

The National Park Service has wrapped up a $4 million emergency repair project on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

A 10-ton weight restriction will remain in effect on the bridge, but officials have reopened the curbside lanes with the completion of the safety project, according to an NPS statement.

"The latest temporary repair project added support beams to reinforce the bridge’s deck and help reduce vibration throughout the bridge’s structure caused by vehicles traveling across the roadway," the statement notes. "Vibration throughout the bridge has played a major role in the continued deterioration of the deck, sidewalks and concrete in the arch spans. The NPS also patched several sections of the concrete deck and sidewalk, to provide a safe means of transportation for everyone using Arlington Memorial Bridge -- whether they drive, walk, jog or bike."

That won't stop the bridge from shutting down by 2021 if Congress doesn't allocate $250 million in funding for rehabilitation of the bridge, the NPS said.

"The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments says a full bridge closure would have a negative economic effect on the region to the tune of $74.5 million/year in traffic delay cost alone," the statement continues. "The project impacts the entire region, with an estimated 68,000 vehicles from Virginia (58 percent), Washington, D.C (21 percent), Maryland (14 percent) and external visitors (7 percent) crossing the Potomac River by way of Arlington Memorial Bridge daily."

The Federal Highway Administration will continue to provide technical engineering and bridge planning advice to the NPS. A total of $10 million has been invested in temporary repairs since 2010, and another project will begin next year to extend the life of the trunnion posts stabilizing the center of the bridge. The load limit will remain in effect until the full rehabilitation is complete, which means city transit buses, tour buses, garbage trucks, tractor trailers and similarly heavy vehicles will be banned from using the bridge.

Image via Wikimedia