Police Are Cracking Down on Arlington Memorial Bridge Violators

ARLINGTON, VA — The Arlington Memorial Bridge is badly in need of repairs, and until officials can find the money to do them, the National Park Service is trying to keep extremely heavy loads off of it -- and they'll be conducting a major public education campaign to remind drivers of the new limits.

The NPS implemented a 10-ton load limit on the Memorial Bridge last year at the recommendation of the Federal Highway Administration to "help prolong the service life of the iconic bridge," the NPS said in a statement, and a new education campaign aims to remind people of that. The NPS won't just be educating, though -- they'll be conducting "targeted enforcement" on anyone caught violating the limits. That means no school buses, no city transit buses and no tour buses.

"U.S. Park Police is monitoring vehicles traveling across the bridge and educating drivers about the 10-ton load limit during routine traffic stops. Violators of the restriction are subject to a citation, which may include points and/or a fine," the NPS stated. "As part of the education campaign, the NPS will install an additional weight limit sign, place variable message boards near the bridge, contact step-on tour guides and bus drivers near the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery to provide them with an alternate route map and will conduct additional outreach to the tourism industry."

The bridge is in need of a $250 million overhaul or it will close by 2021, officials say. The bridge spans the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery. An inspection by the Federal Highway Administration earlier this year said that the bridge was falling apart, and the NPS has kept the bridge functioning with temporary repairs worth only a few million dollars since 2010.

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