FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  June 5, 2008    

Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project Announces Traffic Changes This Weekend

Motorists traveling near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Virginia this weekend should prepare
for changes in Virginia and consider alternate routes. Starting at 9 p.m. on Friday evening, the Inner Loop (I-95 South) will be reduced to two lanes from just east of Telegraph Road Interchange to just west of the Eisenhower Connector Interchange. The closure will last until Saturday evening.  The closure is needed to shift all three lanes of the Inner Loop to a new alignment slightly south of the existing alignment.

Currently, the Inner Loop from the Wilson Bridge is three lanes and widens to four lanes at the Telegraph Road Interchange. This weekend’s activity will extend the three-lane configuration an additional two miles  through the Eisenhower Connector Interchange. The continuation of the three lane configuration through this portion of the Inner Loop is expected to remain in place until 2011. 

This traffic shift is necessary to enable continued progress on new Beltway lanes that ultimately will separate local and long-distance travelers. The work on the Beltway will conclude Saturday evening, barring weather delays. 

On Sunday, beginning at 6 a.m. and lasting through the afternoon, southbound Route 1 will be closed between Franklin Street and Fort Hunt Road in Alexandria and traffic will be detoured to Telegraph Road. In addition, the Inner Loop ramp to southbound Route 1 will be closed until Sunday evening.  This lane closure is necessary to allow paving and striping of new tie-ins to allow for traffic to switch on to the new southbound span of the Route 1 bridge. As with the work on Saturday, this work is weather dependent and would be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. The U.S. Route 1 Interchange is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
 
Specific details are as follows:

I-95/I-495 South/Beltway Inner Loop: Telegraph Road to Eisenhower Connector Lane Reduction
Starting at 9:00pm, Friday, June 6:
• I-95/I-495 South/Beltway Inner Loop will be reduced from three lanes to two from East of Route 1 to the Eisenhower Avenue Connector.
• No ramps to or from Telegraph Road will be closed or detoured.
• Motorists may experience some delays during peak Saturday travel times (8am-8pm).

Evening, Saturday, June 7:
• Once all paving and striping work is complete, the third lane on I-95/I-495 South/Beltway Inner Loop will reopen to traffic on the new Beltway alignment. 

Route 1 Southbound Closed between Franklin Street and Fort Hunt Road
Starting at 6:00am, Sunday, June 8:
• Southbound Route 1, beginning at Franklin Street to Fort Hunt Road in Alexandria, will be closed. This southbound Route 1 traffic will be detoured to Telegraph Road via the Inner Loop to the Outer Loop and back onto Route 1.
• The ramp from I-95/I-495 South/Beltway Inner Loop to southbound Route 1 will be closed. 

Afternoon, Sunday, June 8:
• One lane of southbound traffic will be opened on the new southbound span of the Route 1 bridge.

Ending Evening, Sunday, June 8:
• Once all paving and striping work is complete, all lanes and ramps will open, ready for Monday morning commute.
• Traffic exiting from the Outer Loop to southbound Route 1 will be in its final traffic alignment and will be able to merge onto Route 1 south prior to the Fort Hunt Road signal.

Visit www.wilsonbridge.com for the latest information.

www.alexandriava.gov