The Arlington Memorial Bridge, once a proud symbol of national unity, has recently become emblematic of congressional disunity.
The arched span, which links Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, opened in 1932. Officials shut down two lanes recently to begin emergency repairs, a move that will create a major choke point for at least six months.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx bemoaned congressional inaction regarding transportation funding, noting that federal lawmakers have now put 33 short-term fixes in place, ignoring calls for a multi-year funding measure. More than 60,000 motorists will receive a daily reminder that legislative gridlock begets the real kind of gridlock.
Transportation Issue Update
- U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx blogs about his thoughts on the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
- The Intelligent Transportation Society held a conference in Pittsburgh recently, where discussion centered on driverless cars and other technological advances that are closer to reality than many people realize.
- PennDOT continues to tackle last winter’s crop of potholes. Here’s an update from the Philly region.
- The public-private partnership that will replace 558 bridges during the next three years got underway last week.
- The Pocopson Township experience shows roundabouts move traffic efficiently while improving safety and conserving fuel – exactly as advertised.
- The Patriot News dug deeply into how PennDOT and JD Eckman intend to shorten a 1 1/2-year bridge replacement project to just four weekends in the Harrisburg region.