Arlington Memorial Bridge

The Arlington Memorial Bridge is an iconic bridge in Washington D.C., and it was constructed to show the strength of the united nation by joining a memorial on the north side of the Potomac River with one on the south side. Construction started in 1926 and ended in 1931, with the dedication being on January 16, 1932. However, the bridge was not fully opened to traffic until May 6, 1932. Unfortunately, this bridge was heavily altered, and the bascule span was removed, which resulted in severe loss of historic integrity and significance.

The bascule span last operated for boats on February 28, 1961, and it was poorly maintained after that. By 2015 there was significant corrosion of the steel which required emergency lane closures on the bridge. During a subsequent inspection, it was discovered that the secondary support beams throughout the rest of the bridge were also severely corroded, and a weight limit was imposed. There was a large emergency rehabilitation project awarded to reopen the closed lanes. However, the weight posting remained until a larger project could be completed. The initial project included repair or replacement of expansion joints, steel, and structural concrete; drainage improvements; concrete sidewalk repair; restoration of the asphalt overlay; and debris removal.

Unfortunately, the National Park Service did not recognize the historic significance of the bascule span, and in 2016 they began planning a major reconstruction to extend the life of the bridge. This project was split into two phases. The first phase was to refurbish and reinforce the approach spans and the second phase was to replace the bascule span and make other repairs to the bridge. Construction began in 2018 and the bridge fully reopened in 2020.