AAA spokesman John Townsend has advice for would-be Capital Beltway drivers this weekend, especially those in Northern Virginia near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge: “If you have any brains, you’ll avoid it.”
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project announced Wednesday that all through lanes of the Beltway’s Inner Loop will be shut down for paving from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, from Route 1 to Telegraph Road. The shutdown will start gradually Thursday night at 8, with traffic being funneled into one through lane and one temporary lane.
According to Jennifer Rios, spokeswoman for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project, an average of 85,000 vehicles are expected to travel the Inner Loop each direction per day at this time of year. Because this volume, Rios said she expects a four-to-six-mile traffic backup — but hopes for less in spots.
“We don’t expect there to be much impact on the Outer Loop,” Rios said.
But all those vehicles have to go somewhere, Townsend said.
“That bridge gets over 200,000 cars a day,” he said. “Any time you shut down a major corridor, there are going to be problems.”
This weekend, motorists are advised either to stay home or seek alternate routes. Rios suggested Virginia drivers use the Outer Loop and cross the American Legion Bridge and Maryland drivers take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway southbound to New York Avenue as alternate routes around the construction.
“Very broadly, the reason we’re doing this now is the summer traffic volume is lower than in past years,” Rios said.
Some drivers might still find themselves stuck on the Beltway this weekend because of lack of communication, according to Townsend.
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project officials “have been very slow at getting word out to locals. That will be the only concern,” he said. “This is going to be one of the biggest closures in years.”
Rios said more construction on the Beltway is on the way but will not begin until later in the summer, when more people are expected to be on vacation and out of the city.
