Watch for Work Near Wilson Bridge

Starting Wednesday, there will be a lot of work affecting travelers on the Maryland approach to the Wilson Bridge. The goal is to shift the inner loop lanes into a new configuration, as part of the bridge reconstruction project, but getting to that point will be a hassle.

The ramp from Route 210 South to the inner loop will be rebuilt and raised by about 7 feet to match the grade of the new inner loop lanes. To perform the work, the ramp is scheduled to close at 10 a.m. tomorrow, so that will seriously affect morning commuters on Thursday and Friday. Drivers will be following a detour to Route 414 East (Oxon Hill Road) that then returns to the inner loop. Expect delays.

The next action affects the inner loop itself:

At 9 p.m. Friday, the construction schedule calls for reducing the inner loop to one lane between the Route 210 and I-295. Two lanes are scheduled to reopen at mid-morning Saturday, at which point, drivers will be traveling on the new inner loop lanes. The third lane should be back in business during Saturday afternoon and the fourth lane is scheduled to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.

At about 10:30 p.m. Friday, the ramp from I-295 South to the inner loop is scheduled to close. That timing was chosen in part to let fans who were at the Nationals game at RFK Stadium get clear of the construction area.

Here's a link to a map that shows the affected area and the detours.

All the phases of this complicated job are scheduled to be done in time for the Monday morning rush. If there's a problem with the weather -- and at this point, it doesn't appear likely -- the work would be shifted to next week.

The reconstruction of the Beltway in that area is tied to the plan for the Wilson Bridge, which will get a second span next year. The Beltway lanes will eventually be set up to separate local and long-distance traffic. The inner loop lanes that drivers will be traveling on next week, if the work goes on schedule, will wind up being the inner loop local lanes.

Meanwhile, engineers will be doing some more overnight testing on the Wilson Bridge's draw span, which will result in some bridge closings between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Tuesday/Wednesday this week. Next week, more overnight testing will occur on Monday/Tuesday and Tuesday/Wednesday. The project managers say there could be up to two openings per night, stopping traffic for about 30 minutes each time. The testing will alternate between the outer loop and the inner loop portions of the draw span.

By Robert Thomson |  September 11, 2007; 4:51 AM ET Construction
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