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Boat passage to prompt another drawbridge opening on Woodrow Wilson Bridge this weekend

If you missed the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge’s drawbridge opening last night, there’s another chance to witness — or avoid — it.

The drawbridge on the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) will open from 11 p.m. to 11:20 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 16), according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The opening will allow the boat My Podium to pass underneath the bridge.

That comes after openings for maintenance were held between 10 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday.

Drivers should anticipate intermittent traffic stops and delays, VDOT said.

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge spans the Potomac River between Virginia and Prince George’s County, Md. via the Capital Beltway. Maintenance and the passage of larger vessels like My Podium can periodically require the drawbridge to open and temporarily halt traffic flow on the busy interstate.

While the original bridge required drawbridge openings roughly 260 times per year, the reconstructed span with a higher clearance opened in 2006 reduced that number to about 60.

About the Author

  • Emily Leayman is the editor of ALXnow and contributes reporting to ARLnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia.