On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the Arlington Memorial Bridge renovations were completed.
The three-year, $227 million project was funded by $104 million from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), $90 million from “Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-Term Achievement of National Efficiency” (FASTLANE) grant fund, and $33 million from the National Park Service.
“I am sure the commuters of this region are gratified to learn of the completion of renovations to the beautiful and iconic Arlington Memorial Bridge – thanks to the Federal Highway Administration and our federal partners for all their work!” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
The 88-year-old bridge serves an estimated 68,000 drivers per day, making it one of the most used commuter bridges in the mid-Atlantic region. The renovation was the bridge’s first major repair effort since it was erected. Workers repaired the bridge’s concrete arches and stone facades, replaced the bascule spans 4-million-pound steel superstructure with a 2.6-million-pound fixed steel span, and resurfaced all the travel lanes.
The project was done using the FHWA’s “design-build” contract system, where the contractor is responsible for both the design and construction of the repairs, which helps keep costs to a minimum and saves on construction time. The FHWA chose the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White as the contractor.
“This project has been a showcase of several FHWA Every Day Counts initiatives – including Accelerated Bridge Construction, design-build contracting, and, importantly, Ultra-High Performance Concrete,” said Federal Highway Administrator Nicole R. Nason. “This bridge has a long history, and these innovations ensure it will have a bright future.”