The much-needed replacement of Alexandria’s most-strikable bridge could come with some benefits to the cramped sidewalk beneath.
At a City Council meeting last week, City Council member Sarah Bagley said the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is moving forward with the replacement of a pair of bridges that passes over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
The King Street bridge is nearly 120 years old and frequently causes closures from trucks above the height limits on the bridge striking it.
Bagley said both bridge projects have been consolidated into one and will be done around the same time. The bridge replacement could also come with improvements to the “experience under the bridges.”
“We will be moving the abutments further away from each other, creating more space under the bridges for better sidewalks, possibly a bike lane under one of the bridges,” Bagley said. “While it’s a bridge project, it’s going to have significant bike, pedestrian and car improvements also.”
Construction on the project is expected to begin sometime next year.
