Arlington County engineers will close the West Glebe Road Bridge to all motor vehicle traffic beginning Monday, May 9, due to continued degradation of the bridge beams. Construction of a planned replacement superstructure (road deck and beams) will proceed next month. The bridge’s original piers, which are stable, will be used to support the new superstructure, reducing project costs, construction time and impact on the watershed. Two motor vehicle lanes on the renovated bridge are expected to reopen in early 2023, along with one of two widened sidewalks.
The current structure connecting Arlington and the City of Alexandria over Four Mile Run was built in 1956. Elements have experienced noted deterioration in recent years.
In 2018, a 5-ton weight restriction was placed on all user vehicles. Last month, due to signs of continued structural beam degradation, all southbound traffic was detoured away from the bridge.
While allowing motor vehicle traffic on the bridge during construction has been ruled out, pedestrians and bicyclists will still be able to use the bridge through June, after which they will be directed to a temporary crossing, independent of the superstructure, to be built along the bridge.
The Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge, located further east over Four Mile Run, will handle northbound traffic detoured from the West Glebe bridge in addition to the current diversion of southbound vehicles.
Arlington and Alexandria continue to coordinate closely on the bridge replacement project, which is scheduled for completion by summer 2023. Crews will be mobilized for the job later this month.
Visit Arlington County’s West Glebe Road Bridge Reconstruction Project page for more information.
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