The Memorial Bridge rehabilitation project is halfway complete.
The bridge is back open today after a total closure over the weekend (delayed from earlier this month) that allowed crews to replace concrete support structures and panels, along with other work, on the southern side of the span.
The National Park Service released a new video (above) highlighting work so far on the $227 million project, which kicked off last fall. The video notes that the bridge is “a symbolic link between north and south” and “a symbolic entrance to our nation’s capital.”
It took years to secure federal funding for the project, as warnings of the bridge crumbling and becoming unusable grew more dire.
More on the construction progress so far, from NPS:
Over the weekend, workers finished preparing the southside of the bridge for users and made changes to transition to the next phase of the rehabilitation project. The work included:
- Moving the bridge’s center barrier.
- Striping the southside of the bridge for drivers.
- Moving the poles that support overhead lights guiding drivers in three reversible lanes.
- Installing or uncovering new detour signs for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The total rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge began in fall 2018 and is on schedule. So far, workers have:
- Replaced the concrete structures that support the southside of the bridge.
- Installed new pre-cast concrete panels to replace half of the bridge deck.
- Placed new steel beams on the southside of the bridge.
- Cleaned, repaired and reinstalled the bridge’s historic granite balustrade.
“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 the North and South,” NPS said of the bridge, which connects Arlington and D.C. across the Potomac River. “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.”