Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project – Interchange Progress Report

As part of the initiative to reduce gridlock conditions on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson has completed the final design for four construction contracts for the I-95/I-495/I-295 Interchange.

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge project recently reached a key milestone, with the opening of the first of its new six-lane twin spans.  The entire Maryland portion of the project is estimated to be complete by 2008. To accommodate the new bridge and the increased number of vehicles crossing it, a new interchange on the Maryland side of the Potomac River needed to be upgraded while remaining open to traffic.  This interchange, where the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495) meets I-295, involves the reconstruction of the existing interchange beginning just south of MD 210 and extending south approximately 1.5 miles to the northern abutment of the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The freeway is being widened to accommodate six highway lanes in each direction. The design also includes highway and major bridge ramps, secondary roads, access ramps, and ingress and egress ramps for potential HOV lanes and Express lanes.

Phase I recently was completed, concurrent to the opening of the first new bridge structure.  More than half of the ramps and approach roadways have been constructed; some of them are currently open to traffic while others were built during Phase I to efficiently meet overall project goals.  Meanwhile, traffic was maintained during the entire project with no Beltway closures or detours.

The interchange’s critical location between several concurrent projects required our attention to manage complex schedule coordination issues including the construction phasing and maintenance of traffic needs for adjacent and adjoining projects.  The I-95/I-495/I-295 interchange abuts the $1 billion Woodrow Wilson Bridge to the west, the $1+ billion development of National Harbor to the south, the I-95/I-495/MD 210 interchange to the east, and the widening of I-295 to the north.  We coordinated with and supported these other four major projects, phasing our roadway and ramp construction so that we met our own schedule as well as that of the bridge project while providing constant access to the neighboring project construction sites.

At its annual awards banquet in January 2007, the Maryland Quality Initiative (MdQI) acknowledged our commitment to quality throughout the design of the interchange project with two awards, for Consultant Bridge Design and Consultant Highway Design - Large Project.  MdQI is a cooperative effort by Maryland's highway industry that is dedicated to the continuous quality improvement in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of Maryland's highway system.

The photos above and below show construction progress, with Phase I complete, in Fall 2006.