The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge will have a drawbridge opening briefly tonight (Monday) to allow for the passage of yacht race participants.
The drawbridge is scheduled to open at 10 p.m. to allow for passage of vessels participating in the 40,000-nautical-mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the city announced. The bridge opening is expected to last 15 to 20 minutes.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said drivers should expect delays and seek alternate routes during the drawbridge opening.
Nine of the yachts passed under the bridge last week as part of Fleet Week at The Wharf in D.C. Ahead of the race, The Wharf hosted yacht tours and discussions with ocean racers before yachts depart Monday for the final leg of the race to the UK.
There have been a handful of drawbridge openings on the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge in June, between yachts in the Clipper Race, tall ships in Alexandria’s Sails on the Potomac and bridge maintenance. Maintenance and the passage of larger vessels periodically disrupt traffic flow on the bridge, which connects Virginia and Prince George’s County, Md., via the Capital Beltway.
