[sphinx]

There is a remedial problem on this bridge. On both sides of the river there are too many roads entering/exiting the beltway in too short a distance, most with woefully inadequate merge lanes. That leads to a lot of lane changing and turbulence. That stretch of 495 would benefit from dedicated thru lanes with no local exits from, say, I-66/Tysons to the 270 split. And much bulked up merge lanes. This would be akin to what has already been done on 395 through the Springfield Mixing Bowl and on the approaches to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

For a billion dollars, they'd dang well better include a wide sidewalk/bike lane as well, similar to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The American Legion Bridge sails directly over the C&O Canal and towpath and the Capital Crescent trail. It's just plug ugly stupid not to connect. On the Virginia side it should connect to bike friendly streets in McLean with signage to the several trails in that area. A river crossing is too expensive to waste. Get full value. Add a sidewalk/bike lane.

[lizma2]

Got stuck in Wilson Bridge traffic almost 30 years ago on our way to Dulles to catch a flight to Germany to have my 4 m.o. son Baptized by his Great-Grandfather.

When we got to Dulles late they said they didn’t have any more seats in economy, so they would seat us in business.

I think fondly of that bridge.

[Boiler Plate]

Bike Lanes! Seriously? It’s an Interstate Highway. It is illegal to ride a bike or anything else that can’t travel at least 45mph.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I-495 already has tolled express lanes from Springfield to Tysons, but they have their own exits. However, the lanes will be extended across the new bridge to connect to Maryland’s future tolled lanes. That will hopefully alleviate the problem a little bit, but it won’t be like I-270, which actually has free express lanes from Gaithersburg to just south of Montrose Road (Rockville). Slip ramps take drivers to and from the local lanes, which have the actual freeway exits.