A small, but important, bridge right off of Interstate 395 in Northern Virginia is about to close for more than a year, because it needs a complete overhaul.
The Glebe Road bridge right on the Arlington-Alexandria line will shut down to traffic on May 9 and won’t open again until next summer.
Crews have slowly blocked off parts of the bridge to traffic as its condition has worsened in recent years.
There are also signs on the bridge warning about weight limits and danger.
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“It’s already been a big inconvenience. It's been like this for too long. I don’t know why they're just waiting. They should get on it and fix the bridge," driver Greg Smith said.
News4 photographer captured video of a huge horizontal crack along the bottom of the bridge Tuesday.
"Over time, the beams have deteriorated to the point where the beams are crumbling themselves,” Arlington County Engineering Bureau Chief Adil Chauhan said.
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The bridge goes right over the popular Four Mile Run trail and the plan is to keep the trail open to pedestrians with a detour.
While the repairs are needed, some business owners in the area are likely to feel a dent during the project.
"It didn’t really hit me yet, but I know it’s bad. So I try not to think about it,” said George, who owns a Liberty gas station right next to the bridge.
He said he might have to lower his gas prices to attract customers during the construction.
Construction is supposed to be finished in the summer of 2023.
