The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has found itself aligned with the Trump administration on one issue: the need to update the American Legion Bridge.
The span over the Potomac River connecting Fairfax County with Montgomery County, Maryland, is “a critical transportation link,” but at more than 60 years old, it needs immediate attention, Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said when the board met on Tuesday (Feb. 3).
“We need to figure this out. It’s a huge issue,” Bierman said.
The supervisors voted to send a letter to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in support of its call for speeding up an expansion, renovation and/or replacement of the bridge, potentially using a public-private partnership.
“Replacement of the bridge presents an opportunity not only to bring this critical asset into a state of good repair, but also to improve safety, support new transit connections between Virginia and Maryland, enhance transportation-demand-management strategies, and expand bicycle and pedestrian connectivity across the Potomac River,” Bierman and Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a joint board matter.
The American Legion Bridge now carries an average of 216,000 vehicles and 21,400 heavy trucks per day, according to federal officials, and peak commuting speeds frequently fall to roughly 15 mph.
“Congestion at the Bridge is prolonged and recurring,” FHWA officials said when putting out a call for proposals to address the bridge’s future late last year.
The Maryland state government controls the bridge and would be responsible for funding any improvement project, but does not have existing funds or bonding capacity, according to federal officials.
While Virginia has widened its side of the Capital Beltway, opening new I-495 toll lanes last November, Maryland’s plans to rebuild the American Legion Bridge and potentially expand I-495/I-270 have repeatedly stalled — first due to local opposition and, more recently, because of funding limitations.
Criticizing Maryland Gov. Wes Moore for a “lack of action” on the project, federal transportation officials in December formally sought public input on options for reconstructing the bridge to ease congestion in the I-495/I-270 corridors. That input is a statutorily required step in the planning process.
McKay and Bierman applauded that step in their Feb. 3 resolution.
“This effort reflects the regional and national importance of the bridge and the need for forward-looking approaches to advance its timely replacement,” county officials said.
After meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Jan. 15, Moore said Maryland would reconsider accepting private funding in order to accelerate the American Legion Bridge’s replacement, Maryland Matters reported.
The deadline for public input on the FHWA’s call for proposals is next Monday (Feb. 9).
The last major improvement project on the bridge occurred in the early 1990s.
