For Immediate ReleaseFor More Information, Contact
November 20, 2007
PIO# 295-07		Jennifer Harris, Communications Officer, at 703.838.5078


First Span of New Route 1 Monroe Avenue Bridge Set To Open
Traffic Switch to New Bridge to Occur Weekend of November 30th

The first new span of the Route 1 Monroe Avenue Bridge in Alexandria will be opening on Sunday, December 2. The three-lane span will include a reversible center lane to accommodate morning and evening rush hour traffic. The opening of the new span will allow the demolition of the old bridge and the construction of the second span of the new bridge. The second span is slated to be completed by late 2008.

During the weekend of November 30, evening and night work may be conducted in order to prepare the new span and its approaches for the opening to traffic on December 2.

Several traffic and pedestrian pattern changes will be taking place with the opening of the new bridge span. Motorists and pedestrians will see the following changes after the switch to the new span during this next phase of construction, which is estimated to be from December 2007 to July 2008:

Route 1 Motorists
Northbound and Southbound motorists will be using the new span beginning mid-day on Sunday, December 2.

Southbound motorists wanting to access the Del Ray neighborhood can turn right on Monroe Avenue utilizing the old Route 1 road alignment.

Northbound motorists wanting to access Del Ray can turn left on either Wythe Street to Braddock Road to right on Mount Vernon Avenue, or they can turn left on East Glebe Road to left on Commonwealth Avenue to a left on Mount Vernon Avenue.

The Route 1 Monroe Avenue Bridge center reversible lane:
Will be open to Northbound traffic on weekdays from 5 a.m. to noon and will be closed on weekends.
Will be open to Southbound traffic on weekdays from noon to 10 p.m. and on weekends from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Will be closed to all traffic on weekdays and weekends from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Slaters Lane
On or around December 17, Slaters Lane will reopen to Northbound Route 1 motorists (however, it will remain closed to Southbound Route 1 motorists).
The slip ramp from Slaters Lane to Southbound Route 1 will be temporarily closed during this phase of construction.

From the Del Ray Community

Coming from Del Ray to Route 1 via Monroe Avenue, access to Route 1 Northbound and Southbound routes will be temporarily closed during this phase of construction.

Access to and from Route 1 from Howell Avenue and Bellefonte Avenue will be temporarily closed during this phase of construction.

Motorists wanting to access Southbound Route 1 can turn right from Windsor Avenue to Southbound Route 1 (Windsor Avenue will remain a right in and right out access point on Route 1).

Pedestrian Walkways
For approximately two weeks after the new bridge span is open, pedestrians will be able to use the old bridge as a pedestrian walkway.

A signalized pedestrian crosswalk will be provided across Route 1 at Custis Avenue, at the intersection of the new bridge and Howell Avenue and at First Street.

A walkway will be provided on the south side of Slaters Lane to Route 1. Pedestrians needing to cross Route 1 will need to cross at either First Street or at Howell Avenue.

Pedestrians may access to Del Ray via Windsor Avenue, or along the old Route 1 alignment to Monroe Avenue.

For more information, please contact Bruce McLeod at 703.827.0800, or e-mail bmcleod@cwconsult.com. For detailed maps about the new traffic patterns and pedestrian walkway changes for the Monroe Avenue Bridge, please visit www.potomacyardalexandria.com.

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