The biggest traffic jam likely to occur during the 11-year construction of a new Woodrow Wilson Bridge will begin this Friday night and last the entire weekend while workers realign a section of the Capital Beltway, project managers said yesterday.
Lane closures and detours could back up northbound traffic on Interstate 95 in Virginia for 15 miles. They will be in place from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday while workers lay asphalt for the realigned highway section near the western end of what will become a 12-lane bridge across the Potomac River.
Sustained rains or extreme heat could interfere with the work schedule. A final decision on whether to go ahead will be made about 6 p.m. Friday, project officials said.
During the paving, the Beltway's outer loop will be reduced to one lane from the river to Springfield, backing up traffic for at least that six-mile stretch.
But the worst of the backups probably will stretch south from Springfield, where cars heading to I-95 will be diverted to prevent tens of thousands of motorists from heading toward the old bridge, scheduled to close in 2006, when the first of the replacement spans is complete.
If the closures take place, normally moderate delays will turn monumental, project officials said. Delays could last as long as 90 minutes and considerably longer if there is a fender bender or other problem.
A second set of traffic-stopping weekend-long closures is scheduled to occur within the next month for similar work on the inner loop.
The Beltway realignment will clear room for workers to complete an overpass at South Washington Street in Alexandria, one of the many phases of what is now the biggest and most expensive construction project on the East Coast, and one that is rapidly moving toward completion of its major goals.
But the reverberations from cutting off two major arteries this weekend will cascade across the Washington region as well as the East Coast as local and long-distance drivers are forced to alternate routes. Traffic is likely to surge on the western portion of the Beltway crossing the American Legion Bridge and Interstate 395 heading into Washington. Officials also expect increased traffic on Route 301 through Southern Maryland as motorists look for other ways to get around the area.
Project officials said they also expect local roads across Northern Virginia to be overwhelmed, as some are used for detours and others are jammed by drivers looking for their own escape routes. Local drivers will have trouble getting to Beltway interchanges between Springfield and the bridge.
"Our core message is, 'Stay away if you can,' " said John Undeland, Wilson Bridge project spokesman.
The new, $2.43 billion bridge will replace an aging span that is crumbling under the strain of carrying nearly 200,000 vehicles a day, considerably more than the 75,000 it was built to handle.
