A new study says the congested Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which spans the Potomac River is performing poorly and will continue to deteriorate unless "major action" is taken to improve it.
The federally funded coordination committee for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Improvement Study commissioned the study by the New York engineering firm Hardesty & Hanover to help determine the best alternative for rehabilitating the 30-year-old bridge.
The committee is expected to rely on federal financing to help fund any improvements, but one Virginia state legislator, Rep. David BrickIcy; DWoodbridge, has proposed exploring revenue bond financing as well.
The drawbridge carries Interstate 95 traffic across the river between Maryland and Virginia, which share upkeep of the bridge with the federal government and the District of Columbia.
The coordination committee is continuing to collect information on economics, traffic. environmental impacts, and other areas before selecting a rehabilitation alternative, probably next spring, said a committee spokesman. Alternatives range from removing truck traffic to building a new span, a tunnel. or both.
The committee, which consists of federal, state, regional, and local officials, does not plan to address financing until after it selects an option that would be reviewed in public hearings, the spokesman said.
