- Arlington Memorial Bridge
Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Arlington Memorial Bridge
caption= Memorial Bridge withArlington National Cemetery and Arlington House in the background.
official_name=
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carries=
crosses=Potomac River
locale=Washington, D.C.
maint=
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design=Arch bridge
mainspan=
length= 660 m
width=
clearance=
below=
traffic=
open=January 16 ,1932
closed=
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long=Arlington Memorial Bridge connects Columbia Island with the
Lincoln Memorial inWashington, D.C. across thePotomac River . The eastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of theNational Mall . The western end continues onto theArlington National Cemetery in Arlington,Virginia .The bridge's construction was authorized by Congress on
February 24 ,1925 and formally opened onJanuary 16 ,1932 . The dedication ceremony was headed by PresidentHerbert Hoover . Designed by architectural firmMcKim, Mead and White , the neo-classicalbridge is 2,163 feet (660 m) long.Although the bridge was part of the 1901
McMillan Commission 's plan for restoringPierre L'Enfant 's original plan for the capital, two decades passed before construction was initiated. PresidentWarren G. Harding was caught in a three-hour traffic jam while on his way to dedicate theTomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, because the previous wooden bridge could not handle the traffic. The ensuing turmoil led to appropriation for the bridge construction. [James M. Goode's "Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, DC"]The eastern entrance to the bridge features the "Arts of War" sculptures, "Sacrifice" and "Valor", which were completed by
Leo Friedlander in 1951. On the pylons of each pier of the bridge are large circular discs with eagles and fasces designed by the sculptorCarl Paul Jennewein .The closest Metro stop to the bridge is Arlington Cemetery. The bridge connects, both literally and symbolically, theLincoln Memorial and Arlington House, the home ofRobert E. Lee . This placement was done intentionally to represent the reunification of the north and the south.At the western terminus on Columbia Island, the bridge and its connecting roadways connect with the
George Washington Parkway and with State Route 27 and State Route 110. At the eastern terminus, the bridge and its connecting roadways connect withConstitution Avenue ,Independence Avenue , theRock Creek and Potomac Parkway , and the District of Columbia segment ofInterstate 66 .A peculiarity of the
traffic circle at the western terminus is that traffic already in the circle must yield to traffic entering the circle — the exact opposite of the usual rule. During morningrush hour , a portion of the traffic circle is closed to prevent mergers that would otherwise tie up rush-hour traffic.The center span of the bridge is a metal draw span, intended to allow large vessels to pass upriver to Georgetown. However, with the construction of the
Theodore Roosevelt Bridge immediately upstream, which has no such provision, the draw mechanism has been abandoned.References
Further reading
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc69.htm National Park Service website]
* [http://www.nps.gov/archive/gwmp/memorial_bridge.htm National Park Service George Washington Parkway website]
*
* [http://www.comicbookbrain.com/p-memorial-bridge_feb_2008.php Memorial Bridge] Brief History with historical images and recent 2008 photosCrossings navbox
structure = Bridges
place =Potomac River
bridge = Arlington Memorial Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream =Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream =George Mason Memorial Bridge
downstream signs = (southbound)
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