Officials are planning to open all 10 long-awaited lanes on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge at noon today, one of the final hurdles on what has been called one of the worst bottlenecks along the Interstate 95 corridor.
The new through lanes and ramps come after years of construction — and a weekend of closures as crews paint the new lanes and add the final touches.
Drivers advocacy group AAA Mid-Atlantic calls the opening a major milestone for commuters.
“It makes the daily grind less of a grind,” AAA spokesman John Townsend told The Examiner.
The original drawbridge was designed to carry 75,000 vehicles a day when it was completed in 1961, but traffic reached that volume faster than planners expected. Now nearly three times as many vehicles, about 200,000 a day, travel the route.
The bridge has been plagued by extensive tie-ups as the eight-lane Interstate 95/Beltway funneled across the Potomac River on just six lanes.
In 2000, the $2.5 billion project began to replace the original bridge with two side-by-side drawbridges, each 6,075 feet long and with a capacity of six lanes each. It also includes four interchanges and ramps along the 7.5-mile corridor.
The new bridges are wider, though only five lanes on each side will open initially. Project spokeswoman Johanna Jones said one lane in each direction will serve as an extra shoulder until officials decide whether to designate the lanes for rail, high-occupancy vehicles or buses.
The two spans are also nearly 30 feet higher than the old bridge, meaning fewer drawbridge openings for passing ships — and less stopped traffic.
“It was one of the largest projects on the East Coast,” Townsend said. “It came in on time and under budget. You can’t say that often.”
Last week, drivers got a taste of the bridge’s new capacity when new lanes opened on the outer loop. Jones said the initial lanes eased commutes last week.
Yet the biggest test will come Monday when commuters hit the road. They will face new choices of whether to take local lanes or new through lanes, plus have new ramps to navigate. Furthermore, some construction delays could continue because the remaining interchanges aren’t slated to be finished until 2013.
Plan your route
Although commuters may be excited by the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge lane and ramp openings, drivers may not know where to go Monday as they face new choices and new signs. Once they choose to go on a through lane, they can’t switch to a local lane with more exits, project spokeswoman Johanna Jones cautions. To help decide in advance, use the project’s interactive “lane decider” at wilsonbridge.com.
