The West Glebe Road Bridge connecting Arlington and Alexandria is dropping down to one lane in each direction after an inspection found deterioration under the bridge’s sidewalk.
According to a press release from Arlington County, one northbound lane and one southbound lane will be open, with one northbound lane being converted into a pedestrian and bicycle path after the closure of the west sidewalk.
What a week in Alexandria.
Public uproar over Sunday’s flooding spilled out throughout this week, which continued to be threatened by near-daily flash flood advisories from the National Weather Service.
(Updated 11:45 a.m. — The Arlington Ridge Road bridge referenced by the mayor in the article is the Four Mile Run Bridge.) Arlington County is planning on fully reopening the Four Mile Run Bridge in the fall of 2025, which will be more than six years after it closed due to structural problems.
The bridge is one of the five bridges that connect Alexandria to Arlington, and along with the West Glebe Road Bridge has been earmarked for repair since November 2018. The western portion of the Four Mile Run Bridge has been closed off to pedestrians since January 2019, and structural problems have restricted vehicles under five tons at the Arlington Ridge Road bridge.
The deteriorating West Glebe Road Bridge, on the Arlington border near I-395, will be the topic of an open house next week.
The bridge is currently closed to large vehicles weighing more than 5 tons due to structural deficiencies. It’s set for a major rehabilitation project, likely starting later this year.
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge is scheduled to open tonight to allow Nao Santa María — a replica of one of Christopher Columbus’ ships — to pass through.
Historically, welcoming the Santa María with open arms has turned out poorly, but the ship is nonetheless scheduled to dock at The Wharf in D.C. The ship will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Friday, Nov. 7, to Wednesday, Nov. 13, then again from Friday, Nov. 15 to Sunday, Nov. 17.
The bridge that spans from Ben Brenman Park to Holmes Run Parkway was shut down late last week, according to city officials.
“During routine park amenity inspection by staff from the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, it was found that the bridge footings were unstable due to soft soil and loose rock below the footing,” the city said in a statement.
