News Release

Arlington Memorial Bridge will close to cars, bikes and pedestrians for one weekend

Date: August 23, 2018
Contact: Jonathan Shafer, 202-619-7186
Contact: National Capital Region Communications, 202-619-7400

WASHINGTON - Due to ongoing high water in the Potomac River, the National Park Service delayed the work on Arlington Memorial Bridge again. The work is now scheduled to happen starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 28 and ending at 5 a.m. on Monday, October 1.

During the closure, boaters in the Potomac River should approach the bridge with caution and avoid the area near its center span. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians will need to use alternative routes to cross the Potomac River.

 

“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.

 

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.

 

When the September weekend closure ends, we will reopen four lanes but intermittently close two to prepare for upcoming work. These lane closures will be to install a center barrier and equipment that will be used to direct drivers using reversible lanes starting later this year.

 

Over the next two and a half years, we expect a limited number of full bridge closures on weekends and occasional, short full closures of the bridge at night. The next full weekend closure it tentatively planned for November 2018.
 

#MoreThanABridge

Since its dedication in 1932, Arlington Memorial Bridge has served as a monument to national sacrifice and valor—a symbol of reunification, spanning the historic divisions of North and South. As one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in National Park Service history, the rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge will give new life to our capital’s ceremonial entrance while respecting its character, history and national significance. Learn more at go.nps.gov/MemorialBridge.