(Washington, DC) On March, 23, The District Department of Transportation reopened the curb lanes on the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge that had been closed for emergency repairs. The lanes had been badly damaged by numerous winter freeze-thaw cycles and normal wear-and-tear.
The Roosevelt Bridge, over the Potomac River, is a crucial commuter artery carrying some 100,000 vehicles every weekday between Arlington, Virginia and the District. It is also a critical homeland security link, connecting the White House, the Capitol and downtown Washington with Fort Myer, the Pentagon and other important federal installations in Virginia. In addition, it provides redundant transportation capacity in case of a 9/11-type event or other emergency.
Construction of the six-lane Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge was finished in 1964. In the early 1990s, the median was removed to create an additional lane, for a total of four lanes in the rush-hour direction, controlled by a movable barrier.