Watch out, commuters who drive to and from Virginia: two lanes of heavily traveled Arlington Memorial Bridge will stay closed to traffic during emergency repairs.
The closure affects two curbside lanes. Four feet of the adjoining sidewalk will close, too.
Federal highway officials have found that the bridge's secondary load-bearing beams are corroding faster than expected -- and don't meet highway standards. The bridge's concrete deck is deteriorating, too.
Limiting traffic on the bridge will help extend the bridge's life while repairs are made -- but that will also make traffic in that area even more congested.
The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration are now speeding up repairs to the bridge that had been scheduled for September.
