A major bridge rehabilitation project in the Washington, D.C., region will address aging infrastructure on a heavily traveled connection between Virginia and the nation’s capital. Skanska has been awarded a $114 million design-build contract by the District Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration, for improvements to the I-395 Northbound Bridge over the Potomac River.
The Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge was built in 1950 and extends approximately 0.46 miles with four lanes. The structure currently carries about 90,000 vehicles each day and supports both passenger and freight movement between Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Skanska’s work will include replacing the vessel protection system around the bascule piers and upgrading bridge barriers to meet current MASH crash-testing requirements.
The construction program also covers rehabilitation of the approach-span superstructure and substructure. Secondary infrastructure removed during construction, including overhead sign structures, lighting and drainage components, will be replaced.
A major element of the project involves converting the existing 175-foot double-leaf bascule span into a fixed span. The conversion will use accelerated bridge construction methods during a planned 56-hour weekend closure intended to limit disruption to traffic.
Design work is scheduled to begin in August 2026, followed by construction in early 2027. AECOM and Genesis Structures are part of the project team.
The completed rehabilitation is expected to extend the bridge’s service life by approximately 75 years, providing continued use of the major transportation connection while addressing structural and safety requirements.
The project adds to Skanska USA Civil’s portfolio of transportation infrastructure work in the Capital Region, including the Long Bridge North rail project and the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge replacement completed in Maryland in 2022.
The project reflects continued investment in aging transportation infrastructure in the Washington metropolitan area. For transportation owners and contractors, the work highlights the role of design-build delivery and accelerated construction methods in projects where maintaining traffic operations is a major constraint.
The planned weekend closure for the fixed-span conversion also demonstrates how construction sequencing can be used to concentrate disruptive work into a limited window while supporting continued operation of a critical regional transportation route.
For public infrastructure owners, extending the service life of existing bridges can provide a long-term alternative to full replacement when structural rehabilitation can address safety, reliability and operational requirements.
For contractors, the project combines structural rehabilitation, marine protection, traffic management and accelerated bridge construction. These requirements will make coordination, sequencing and short-duration closures important components of project delivery.
Source: Skanska.
