FHWA 29-20
Contact:  Doug Hecox
Tel.: 202-366-0660

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the completion of renovations made over the last three years to the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The $227 million project relied on $104 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), $90 million in “Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-Term Achievement of National Efficiencies” (FASTLANE) grant funds, 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.

First opened to traffic in 1932, the Neoclassical bridge now serves an estimated 68,000 drivers each day – making it one of the most important commuter bridges in the mid-Atlantic region. The three-year renovation was the bridge’s first major repair effort in nearly a century. Workers repaired the bridge’s concrete arches and stone facades on 10 approach spans, replaced the bascule span’s 4-million-pound steel superstructure with a 2.6-million-pound fixed steel span, and resurfaced all travel lanes.

Due to FHWA’s innovative “design-build” contract – meaning the contractor was responsible for both the design and construction of the repairs – project costs were kept to a minimum and saved more than a year of construction time.

During the last three years, workers relied on FHWA’s Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques to remove 200,000 square feet of bridge decking and replace it with precast concrete deck panels that are connected with Ultra-High Performance Concrete, to remove and replace over 60,000 square feet of sidewalks, and refurbish more than 5,000 pieces of granite.

“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.”

Designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White, the bridge is constructed of reinforced concrete faced with dressed North Carolina granite ashlar. Widely regarded as Washington's most beautiful bridge, the 2,163-foot-long Arlington Memorial Bridge is an enduring link between the North and South in its alignment between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House.

For more information about the bridge, visit https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/projects/dc/gwmp-11-4.

# # #