Woodrow Wilson Bridge#Replacement facilities

{{About|the bridge in the Washington metropolitan area|the bridge in Mississippi|Woodrow Wilson Bridge (Jackson, Mississippi)}}

{{Redirect|Interstate 95 in the District of Columbia|the entire route|Interstate 95|the former I-95 in Virginia and Washington, D.C.|Interstate 395 (Virginia–District of Columbia)}}

{{Infobox bridge

| bridge_name = Woodrow Wilson Bridge

| image = 2016-10-16 17 24 14 View southwest across the Potomac River towards Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 (Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge) from Jones Point Park in Alexandria, Virginia.jpg

| caption = Woodrow Wilson Bridge in October 2016

| official_name = Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge in April 2007

| also_known_as = Wilson Bridge

| carries = 12 lanes of {{jct|country=USA|I|95|I|495|dab2=Capital Beltway}}, pedestrian traffic

| crosses = Potomac River

| locale = Alexandria, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Oxon Hill, Maryland

| maint = Virginia Department of Transportation and Maryland State Highway Administration

| design = Double-leaf bascule bridge

| length = {{convert|6736|ft|m}}

| below = {{convert|70|ft|m}}

| traffic = Approx 250,000 vehicles/day

| open = December 28, 1961 (original span)
{{start date and age|June 10, 2006}} (new outer loop span)
{{start date and age|May 30, 2008}} (new inner loop span)

| closed = 1961 span closed July 15, 2006. Demolished August 29, 2006.

| coordinates = {{coord|38.793396|-77.03167|display=inline,title}}

}}

The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, also known as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge or the Wilson Bridge, is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill, Maryland in Prince George's County, Maryland. The original bridge was one of only a handful of drawbridges in the Interstate Highway System. It contained the only portion of the Interstate System owned and operated by the federal government until construction was completed and it was turned over to the Virginia and Maryland departments of transportation.{{cite web|url=http://epw.senate.gov/105th/dot_6-06.htm |title=Statement of Jane Garvey, Woodrow Wilson Bridge, June 6, 1997 |publisher=Epw.senate.gov |date=June 6, 1997 |access-date=July 18, 2009}}

The Wilson Bridge carries Interstate 95 (I-95) and I-495 Capital Beltway. The drawbridge on the original span opened about 260 times a year, frequently disrupting traffic on a bridge that carried about 250,000 cars each day.{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/08/03/new_road_could_take_the_strain_off_dc_beltway/ |work=The Boston Globe|last=Preer |first=Robert |title=New road could take the strain off D.C. Beltway |access-date=August 5, 2006 |date=August 3, 2006}} The new, higher span requires fewer openings.

The bridge's west abutment is in Virginia, a small portion is in Washington, D.C., and the remaining majority of it is within Maryland (because that section of the Potomac River is within Maryland's borders). About {{convert|300|ft|m|sigfig=1}} of the western midspan portion of the bridge crosses the tip of the southernmost corner of the District of Columbia. It is the only bridge in the US that crosses the borders of three state-level jurisdictions (DC, Maryland, and Virginia). The section in Washington DC is also the shortest segment of Interstate Highway between state lines.{{cite web |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/interstate_highway_system/routefinder/index.cfm#s11|title=Miscellaneous Interstate System Facts|publisher=Federal Highway Administration |date= January 28, 2016 |access-date=24 February 2016}}

The bridge is named for the 28th president of the U.S., Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), a native of Staunton, Virginia. While he was president, Wilson reportedly spent an average of two hours a day riding in his automobile to relax or to "loosen his mind from the problems before him". President Wilson was an advocate of automobile and highway improvements in the U.S. In 1916, he said, "My interest in good roads is [...] to bind communities together and open their intercourse, so that it will flow with absolute freedom and facility".{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Original bridge

File:Aerial view of Potomac River and Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge from north, 1991.jpg

A bridge at Jones Point was first proposed by the District Highway Department in August 1952 as part of a study of Potomac River bridge crossing needs.{{cite news|last=Stavisky|first=Sara|title=Traffic Surveys Clash On Potomac Bridges|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 29, 1956|pages=A1, A23}} The bridge linked to US Route 1 and the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway in Virginia.{{cite news|title=Proposed New Jones Point Bridge at Alexandria|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 31, 1952|page=M7}}{{cite news|title=Bridge Link With Shirley Hwy. Seen|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 22, 1954|page=30}} In Prince George's County, Maryland, the bridge would connect with Overlook Avenue and Chesapeake Street. It was also intended to link with the proposed extension of the George Washington Memorial Parkway/Anacostia–Kenilworth Parkway (later built as the southern leg of the Anacostia Freeway){{cite news|last=Albrook|first=Robert C.|title=D.C. to Map Bridge Link Next Week|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 6, 1954|page=17}} in Prince George's County (authorized by Congress in 1930 but never built){{cite news|last=Homan|first=Richard|title=Hearing Tuesday On River Parkway|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 12, 1965|page=b1}} and the Inter-County Metropolitan Freeway (proposed in 1944 and later planned and constructed as the Capital Beltway).{{cite news|last=McDevitt|first=Betty|title=Express Highway System Plans Revealed for Md.-Capital Area|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 21, 1944|page=A1}} The Regional Planning Council approved construction of the bridge just four months later.{{cite news|last=Roberts|first=Chalmers M.|title=Planning Council Approves Two New Potomac Bridges: Council Backs 2 New Spans|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 2, 1952|page=A1}} The bridge won the backing of Representative Joel Broyhill of Virginia, who championed legislation funding its construction in Congress.{{cite news|title=Two Bridges Set as Goal For District By Broyhill|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 13, 1953|page=A21}} By November 1953, the US Department of the Interior had also recommended its construction.{{cite news|title=Interior Department Backs Jones Point Bridge Proposal|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 11, 1953|page=A15}} Congress authorized construction of the bridge on August 17, 1954,{{cite news|last=Zagoria|first=Sam|title=House Sends D.C. Bridges Measure to White House|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 18, 1954|page=A1}} and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the measure into law later that month.{{cite news|title=Ike to Sign Two-Bridge Measure|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 29, 1954|page=M22}}

File:2007 04 25 - WWB 96.JPG

The bridge received its name through the efforts of Representative Burr Harrison, a Virginian who sought to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of Woodrow Wilson.{{cite news|title=Bill Seeks to Name Bridge for Wilson|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 6, 1956|page=28}} Eisenhower signed this legislation into law on May 22, 1956, as part of a bill authorizing initial funding for the bridge.{{cite news|title=Ike Signs Jones Point Bridge Bills|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 23, 1956|page=21}} Construction of the bridge began in September 1958,{{cite news|title=Bridge Relief in Sight|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 26, 1958|page=A12}} and it opened to traffic on December 28, 1961.{{cite news|last=Douglas|first=Walter B.|title=Wilson Span Dedication Set Today|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 28, 1961|page=B1}} Edith Wilson, Wilson's widow, died that very morning; she was supposed to have been the guest of honor at the bridge's dedication ceremony.{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Ginsberg |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071401748.html |title=From Its Hapless Beginning, Span's Reputation Only Fell |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=A01 |date=July 15, 2006 |access-date=July 16, 2006}} The {{Convert|5900|ft|m|adj=on}} bridge included a bascule bridge to allow large, ocean-going vessels access to the port facilities of Washington DC.{{cite news|title=New Span Bids Open On June 30|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 22, 1958|page=B3}} It had six traffic lanes and was designed to handle 75,000 vehicles a day.

By 1999, the old Wilson Bridge was handling 200,000 vehicles a day, more than 2.6 times the original design capacity.{{cite news|last=Fehr|first=Stephen C.|title=Fixed Schedule Proposed for Wilson Bridge Drawspan|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 20, 1991|page=C3}} The bridge had serious maintenance problems and underwent continuous patchwork maintenance beginning in the 1970s.{{cite news|last1=Reid|first1=Alie|last2=Fehr|first2=Stephen C.|title=The Rush Hour of Decision On Replacing Wilson Bridge|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 26, 1998|page=A1, A21-A22}} It was completely redecked in 1982 and 1983.{{cite news|last=Feaver|first=Douglas B.|title=Major Rebuilding Set for Wilson, Cabin John Spans|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 6, 1980|page=A1|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|title=Wilson Bridge Lanes to Close For Redecking|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 14, 1982|page=B1|postscript=none}}; {{cite news|title=Wilson Bridge Repairs to Be Finished Tonight|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 21, 1983|page=C4}}

File:Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, Washington DC Area.jpg

One of the reasons for the inadequate design{{cn|date=March 2024}} was that it was not originally planned to be part of the major north–south I-95, but rather, as part of the circumferential Capital Beltway. I-95 was planned to bisect the Capital Beltway with a shorter through-route, extending north from Springfield, Virginia, across the Potomac River, through downtown Washington DC, and the northeastern section of DC, and into Maryland to reconnect with the beltway near College Park, Maryland. While the portions in Virginia and in DC south of New York Avenue were built, the remaining segment—designated the Northeast Freeway—was opposed by residents, and construction was canceled in the late 1970s. The portion north of Springfield was designated as a spur, I-395 (Shirley Highway). The eastern half of the Capital Beltway was additionally signed as I‑95.

Traffic was also boosted by growth in the Washington metropolitan area and increases in suburb-to-suburb commuting. Because housing costs in Prince George's County, Maryland, are much lower than in Northern Virginia—which saw enormous job growth in recent decades—tens of thousands of workers commute daily over the bridge, a situation not anticipated when it was constructed. After the highway on both sides of the bridge was widened to eight lanes, the six-lane bridge became a daily bottleneck as heavy traffic slowed in order to funnel into fewer lanes. Two incidents demonstrated this. On November 11, 1987, a snowstorm snarled traffic;{{cite news |author=Karlyn Barker and John Lancaster |title=Record Snowfall Dumbfounds Drivers, Forecasters; Surprise Storm Snarls Traffic, Shuts Schools and Leaves 4 Dead |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 12, 1987}}

many commuters ran out of gas and spent the night in their vehicles on the bridge. In November 1998, the bridge was closed for several hours during the afternoon rush hour when Ivin L. Pointer engaged police in a seven-hour standoff, creating {{Convert|20|mi|km|adj=on}} traffic backups. (Pointer jumped off the bridge, but survived the fall.){{cite news |author=Alice Reid and Patricia Davis |title=Jumper on Bridge Causes Gridlock |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/wilson/wilson110598.htm |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 5, 1998 |access-date=August 24, 2006}}

Replacement bridge

=Construction=

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge - underside.jpg]]

Maryland, Virginia, and federal highway officials had been confronting the problems and exploring alternatives for many years. After considerable study and public debate, officials chose a plan that would double the capacity and increase the height of the drawbridge to reduce the frequency of openings. The new bridge would include two side-by-side drawbridges with a total of 12 lanes and {{convert|70|ft|m}} of vertical navigational clearance at the draw span. The project also included an extensive redesign and reconstruction of the Capital Beltway as it approached the new bridge from the Maryland and Virginia sides.

Construction began on the replacement facilities and approaches in 1999. Bridge construction began in October 2000 with the commencement of a dredging contract. On May 17, 2001, the Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) issued notice to proceed for the foundations contract. The preconstruction conference for the bridge superstructure contract was held on September 11, 2001. The events of the day, including the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the nearby Pentagon, caused the evacuation of the bridge foundation construction crews and disrupted the preconstruction meeting. On December 16, 2001, MSHA received only one bid (which was more than 70 percent above the engineer's estimate), and the bid was ultimately rejected. In total, the work was executed by 26 prime contractors and 260 subcontractors.

File:Wilsonbridge1.JPG

The majority of the highway project was completed by 2009, and the upgraded Telegraph Road interchange was completed in early 2013. The Wilson Bridge project received numerous awards, including four American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) national awards for environmental excellence, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) award, the Gustav Lindenthal Award, the Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering award, and the ACEC Grand Award. Starting in 2001 with a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-approved financial plan budget of $2.44 billion (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|2443000000|2001}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}), the project completed its financial close in early 2015 at $2.36 billion (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|2357000000|2001}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}})—$86 million (equivalent to ${{Formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|86000000|2001}}}} in {{Inflation/year|index=US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|index=US-GDP}}) below its original budget after more than 10 years of construction.

The first new, six-lane Potomac River bridge opened for northbound Outer Loop traffic on June 10, 2006, with only minor delays (the lane striping of the bridge and approach did not initially match up). The first car to cross was a Toyota Corolla.{{cite news |first=Stephanie |last=McCrummen |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/11/AR2006061100903.html |title=Wilson Bridge Span Open Early; Now to Do It All Over Again |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B01 |date=June 12, 2006 |access-date=July 16, 2006}}{{cite news |author=Karin Brulliard and Sandhya Somashekhar |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/10/AR2006061001087.html |title=A Cry of 'This Is Awesome!' As Cars Cruise New Span |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=C01 |date=June 11, 2006 |access-date=July 16, 2006}} On July 16, 2006, at midnight, traffic from the Inner Loop of the beltway was rerouted to the future Outer Loop express lanes for two years. The original 1961 bridge was demolished at 12:35 am, on August 29, 2006, to make room for completion of the six-lane Inner Loop bridge, located between the original bridge and the new Outer Loop span. Local commuter Daniel Ruefly was given the honor of initiating the detonation{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5294156.stm |title=US Commuter Blows Up Bottleneck |publisher=BBC News |date=August 29, 2006 |first=Sarah |last=Morris}} after he won a contest where he was judged the driver to have suffered the most over the years from the bridge's congestion, with an estimated combined total of two and a half years spent in traffic caused by the bottleneck at the bridge.{{cite news | last=Gowen | first=Annie | title=A Tough Trip to a Blast on the Bridge | newspaper=Washington Post | date=2006-08-24 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/23/AR2006082300896.html | access-date=2015-09-30}} The airspace above the bridge, and the beltway in both directions, were closed for the detonation, which happened 36 minutes behind schedule. The second bridge span was dedicated on May 15, 2008, and on May 30, 2008, Inner Loop traffic was shifted onto it.

After the completion of the Wilson Bridge project, the state of Maryland and the commonwealth of Virginia became the joint owners of the completed bridge, and both states exercise joint responsibility and oversight of bridge activities, maintenance, and operations. The District of Columbia, a jurisdiction that once had ownership rights to the 1961 Wilson Bridge span, relinquished future ownership rights and responsibility for the new bridge. Additionally, DC granted a permanent easement to Maryland and Virginia for the portion of the bridge located within its boundaries.

=Use and features=

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge tower 2020.jpg

Of the 12 lanes, six are used for local traffic. Four lanes, isolated from the local lanes, are used for through traffic. The bridge design allows for the remaining two lanes to be used by Washington Metro or other mass transit, though there are no current plans to do so.{{cite web |url=http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Woodrow_Wilson_Bridge.html |title=Woodrow Wilson Bridge |author=Scott M. Kozel |publisher=Roads to the Future |date=February 25, 2009 |access-date=January 5, 2010}} The consultant team for the main bridge over the Potomac River included engineers of record Parsons Transportation Group; bridge architect Miguel Rosales of Rosales + Partners; Consulting engineers were A. Morton Thomas & Associates, Inc.; Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers provided Geotechnical engineering; Subconsultants Finley McNary Engineers (piers); and Hardesty & Hanover, LLP (bascule span). Project management was provided by WSP USA, Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP, and URS Corporation.

File:2016-10-06 10 38 22 View east from the west end of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge along northbound Interstate 95 and the eastbound outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) in Alexandria, Virginia.jpg

The northern span of the bridge also includes pedestrian and bike passage, separated from traffic by safety barriers. The path, which opened on June 6, 2009, is about {{convert|12|ft|m}} wide and {{convert|1.1|mi|km}} long, with "bump-out" areas where users can stop to observe views of Washington and Old Town Alexandria.{{cite news |url=http://www.thewashingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/06/AR2009060602145.html |title=Wilson Bridge Bike Path Gets Rolling |author=Tara Bahrampour |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 7, 2009 |access-date=January 6, 2010}}

The new spans are {{Convert|20|ft|m}} higher than the old bridge, high enough to allow most boats and small ships to pass underneath without having to raise the bridge and reducing the projected number of annual traffic-hindering openings from about 260 to about 60.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051800950.html |title=Fanfare Above the Potomac |author=Steven Ginsberg |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 19, 2006 |access-date=January 6, 2010}}

According to a draft executive summary released in December 2022 by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for their I-495 Southside Transit/TDM study, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge has "future accommodation for potential future rail transit".{{Cite web |title="I-495 Southside Transit/TDM Study Executive Summary - DRAFT December 2022 |url=https://www.drpt.virginia.gov/media/ivklm0q5/i-495-southside-transit-tdm-study_executive-summary_draft_dec2022-1.pdf |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation}} An extension of the Blue Line across the bridge was also proposed at the same time.{{Cite web |last=Tuss • • |first=Adam |title=Metro Weighs Building Blue Line Loop to Ease Crowding at Rosslyn, Including Georgetown, National Harbor Stops |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/transportation/metro-considers-building-blue-line-loop-to-ease-crowding-at-rosslyn/3235003/ |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=NBC4 Washington |date=December 16, 2022 |language=en-US}}

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge aerial 2012.jpg, at bottom right. The Blue Plains section of DC is in the upper center-right portion.]]

Gallery

File:2019-07-04 15 05 49 View south along Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) crossing the Potomac River via the Woodrow Wilson Bridge from the pedestrian overpass for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail in National Harbor, Maryland.jpg|View across the bridge from the Maryland side

File:Capital Beltway Anacostia Freeway junction.jpg|Construction of interchange on the Maryland side in 2007; the bridge is just to the left

File:Underneath Woodrow Wilson Bridge.jpg|The architecture beneath the Wilson Bridge

File:2007 04 25 - WWB 66.JPG|Painting application on the new span

File:Wooddrow Wilson Bridge.jpg|Woodrow Wilson Bridge at Sunset, as seen from Marina Park, Alexandria, Virginia

File:WelcomeVA495WWB.jpg|Welcome to Virginia sign on the Inner Loop over the Wilson Bridge. A short stretch of the bridge just before this sign is in DC.

File:2016-01-22 08 59 22 "Welcome To Maryland" sign on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (the northbound outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 95 and Interstate 495)) in National Harbor, Prince Georges County, Maryland.jpg|Welcome to Maryland sign on the Outer Loop over the Wilson Bridge.

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge boundary 2020a.jpg|Virginia–DC border marked on the bridge

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge boundary 2020b.jpg|DC–Maryland border marked on the bridge

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge Open.jpg|The Wilson Bridge open for the passing of a vessel, as seen from Alexandria, Virginia

File:Woodrow Wilson Bridge.jpg|Traffic flowing across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge

References

External links

[http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Woodrow_Wilson_Bridge.html Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495 and I-95)], by Roads to the Future
[http://www.dcroads.net/crossings/woodrow-wilson/ Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-95 and I-495)] at Steve Anderson's DCRoads.net
[http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/summer96/p96su2b.htm#6 President Wilson: Motorist Extraordinaire], 1916 article from Northwest Motorist
[http://www.gti-usa.net/Woodrow-Wilson-Bridge.shtml Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River]
{{Structurae|id=20007389|title=Woodrow Wilson Bridge (1961)}}
{{Structurae|id=20000912|title=Woodrow Wilson Bridge (2006)}}
[http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=12254 WAN Awards 2009 - Urban Design (Honourable Mention)]

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