Regional cooperation sought on Potomac River crossings

Could 2016 be the year officials in Virginia and Maryland make forward progress on a new Potomac River crossing west of the American Legion Bridge?

Members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board certainly hope so.

The body – which oversees Virginia’s transportation and transit efforts – voted unanimously Dec. 9 on a resolution seeking forward momentum on planning for a new span to take pressure off the American Legion Bridge, which is expected to see large growth in vehicle counts through 2040.

And the situation already is strained: As anyone using that bridge at rush hour knows, the posted speed limits usually serve as an aspiration, not reality. Most of the time, rush-hour travel on the Capital Beltway over and adjacent to the bridge span is running at half the posted speeds.

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