American Legion Memorial Bridge (Potomac River)

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"Cabin John Bridge" redirects here. For the 19th-century masonry structure in Cabin John, Maryland, also known as the Union Arch Bridge, see Union Arch Bridge.
American Legion Memorial Bridge
File:2015-12-08 14 07 24 View northeast towards the American Legion Memorial Bridge (Interstate 495) connecting Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia from the south bank of the Potomac River.jpg
View of the east side of the bridge from the south bank
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Carries 10 lanes of I-495, 8 thru lanes and 2 exit lanes
Crosses Potomac River
Locale Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia
Official name American Legion Memorial Bridge
Other name(s) Legion Bridge
Maintained by Maryland State Highway Administration
History
Opened December 31, 1962 (61 years ago) (1962-12-31)
Statistics
Daily traffic 204,000 (1997)

The American Legion Memorial Bridge, also known as the American Legion Bridge and formerly as the Cabin John Bridge, is a bridge carrying the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) across the Potomac River between Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia in the United States. It is an American Water Landmark.

The bridge has five traffic lanes in each direction. The outermost lane in each direction is an exit-only lane. The outermost northbound lane is exit-only onto the Clara Barton Parkway, while the outermost lane in the southern direction is exit-only onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Georgetown Pike (State Route 193). The bridge prohibits pedestrians or cyclists.

History

File:American Legion Memorial Bridge, Maryland, April 20, 2014.jpg
The southbound portion of the bridge in April 2014.
File:2016-02-02 16 45 55 View south along the outer loop of the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495) just north of the American Legion Memorial Bridge in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland during evening rush hour.jpg
Heavy congestion on the bridge during rush hour

Opened on December 31, 1962,[1] the bridge was originally named the "Cabin John Bridge" because of its proximity to the community of Cabin John on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The bridge opened without a ceremony due to the cold weather.[2] On May 30, 1969, the bridge was officially renamed the "American Legion Memorial Bridge" in a ceremony led by Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director of the U.S. Selective Service System.[3] This action reduced confusion with the Union Arch Bridge, which carries the Washington Aqueduct and MacArthur Boulevard across Cabin John Creek and which some people also called "the Cabin John Bridge".

The American Legion Memorial Bridge is an important commuter route because of its proximity to edge cities and high tech centers in Maryland and Virginia, and is the only major crossing between Maryland and Virginia between the Point of Rocks Bridge, more than Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). upstream (not counting White's Ferry, which is the only crossing between these bridges, and the last operating ferry on the Potomac), and the Chain Bridge downstream between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. Congestion on the bridge and commuter travel between the western Washington suburbs in both states has fueled support for a western bridge around the Loudoun County/Fairfax County line in Virginia (Virginia Route 28/Fairfax County Parkway area), or farther out as part of the Western Transportation Corridor.[4] Opponents claim that another bridge would increase development in those areas, increase traffic, and generate more pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.[5]

The bridge crosses the western terminus of the Potomac Heritage Trail and the George Washington Memorial Parkway on the Virginian side of the Potomac River. On the Maryland side, the bridge crosses over MacArthur Boulevard, the Clara Barton Parkway and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Lock 13 (Seven Locks 6) of the canal is underneath the bridge.

The American Legion Memorial Bridge is one of the two locations at which the Capital Beltway crosses the Potomac River; the other is the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

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External links

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