VDOT News - Northern Virginia

FAIRFAX – The Cedar Lane Bridge over I-66, located between the Nutley Street and I-495 interchanges, is planned to close for approximately six months starting on or about Friday, May 15. The bridge will be demolished and rebuilt to accommodate the widening of I-66, as part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Express Lanes project. Drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists will be directed to follow marked detours to Gallows Road to cross I-66. The future Cedar Lane Bridge is scheduled to open in November 2020.

During the Cedar Lane Bridge closure, a posted detour will route drivers to Gallows Road to cross I-66 using either Cottage Street (north side of I-66) or Hilltop Road and Lee Highway (south side of I-66). Pedestrians and cyclists will have a marked detour using existing sidewalks and shared-use path to cross I-66 near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metrorail Station. The detour will use sidewalks along Cottage Street on the north side of I-66, the shared-use path along Gallows Road, and multiple sidewalks on the south side of I-66. All affected bridge users should stay alert and use caution while getting accustomed to these new detour routes. 

The Transform 66 Outside the Beltway project is partnering with Fairfax County to enhance transit services in the vicinity of the bridge. Fairfax Connector Routes 462 and 467, which use the Cedar Lane Bridge to travel between the Dunn Loring Metro station and Vienna-Tysons, will offer increased frequency and expanded hours during the bridge closure to assist affected travelers. Visit www.FairfaxConnector.com for additional information.

Demolition of the existing Cedar Lane Bridge is expected to begin on the northernmost span as soon as the bridge is closed on or about the weekend of May 15, and will continue through May and early summer. When possible, demolition will occur during daytime hours, but portions of the bridge over I-66 and the Metro tracks must be demolished during nighttime hours when multiple lanes of I-66 can be closed for safety. Construction of the new bridge will begin as demolition progresses. 

Efforts to minimize noise or other impacts resulting from these construction and demolition activities include: 

• Hauling demolished concrete during daytime hours when possible and processing off site
• Directing work area lighting toward the roadway and away from residences
• Implementing dust control measures
• Monitoring construction vibration and noise

Closing the Cedar Lane Bridge for a six-month period allows demolition and construction to progress more quickly than a partial bridge closure and phased construction approaches that were considered previously. The planned full closure of the bridge shortens the construction schedule from the previously planned 28 months to six months, reduces the duration of construction impacts on neighbors and drivers, and maximizes construction activity that needs to occur over Metrorail tracks during the planned Metro Orange Line shutdown between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.

The future Cedar Lane Bridge will consist of two 12-foot lanes (one lane in each direction). A shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists will be built on the east side of the bridge, as well as a sidewalk on the west side of the bridge. The bridge will also have seven-foot-tall fencing on both sides. 

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and construction progress. 

Visit outside.transform66.org/CedarLane for more information on the planned closure and reconstruction of Cedar Lane bridge including a video presentation. Website visitors can also provide comments or ask questions. 

On Twitter, follow VDOT Northern Virginia at @vadotnova.

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