Each direction of the Washington Boulevard bridge over Jefferson Davis Highway will have one fewer travel lane starting next week.
Starting Monday, April 27, the Virginia Department of Transportation will close off the two lanes to make way for the next phase of work in replacing the 74-year-old bridge. Construction on the project began in March.
The lane closures are expected to last the duration of the project, which has a projected completion date of May 2018 and a price tag of $31.5 million, per VDOT.
“Drivers are advised to expect delays and use alternate routes if possible, particularly northbound during the a.m. rush hour, where drivers could experience a 10-minute delay,” VDOT said in a press release announcing the traffic shift. “Motorists are also asked to be alert to Pentagon and Virginia State Police who will help facilitate traffic movement.”
When complete, the new bridge will be wider, taller, and longer than the current one, which VDOT has deemed “structurally deficient.” It will also include a 14-foot-wide shared use path on one side and an 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the other.
Image via VDOT
Commuters have wet, leaf-slicked roads to deal with this morning, but largely the drive on the highways isn’t much worse than on any other given weekday.
Traffic on I-66 is moving smoothly. I-395 is backed up, per usual, and is moving slowly approaching the 14th Street Bridge.
The biggest cause for concern this morning appears to be Route 27 near the Pentagon, which has slowed to a crawl heading northbound (on the western side of the Pentagon).
