20-Minute Closure Planned on Md. Side

The first of several closures of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is scheduled for about 11 a.m. tomorrow, when traffic on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway will be stopped for 20 minutes on the Maryland side, according to Michelle Holland, spokeswoman for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project.

Bridge officials said backups could stretch for three miles and warned drivers to stay away.

The closures are necessary to allow workers to take precise measurements to confirm that the drawbridge spans are properly aligned now that they are carrying traffic, bridge official said.

Holland said there would be a total of about a dozen closures "in the near future." She said further details on the timing and location of closures will be publicized when available.

The bridge closures will be in one direction and last for about 20 minutes and will be timed to avoid rush hours, traffic officials said. Still, they advised drivers to avoid the bridge during those times.

Holland said that although the timing of tomorrow's closure has more to do with contractor availability, it is also because traffic counts during weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon are slightly lower than at similar times during weekends -- an average of 3,108 on weekdays and 3,184 on weekends.

Other testing has been conducted during nighttime hours. While the bridge is closed, the drawbridge will not be raised.

"We ask for their patience as we carry out these essential, short-term jobs," Bob Douglass, project manager for the Maryland State Highway Administration, said in a statement.