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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Crews have finished setting the steel girders for the new Arlington Ridge Road/Mount Vernon Avenue bridge over Four Mile Run ahead of schedule, prompting officials to cancel the remaining off-peak closures and reopen the span to normal traffic before the Memorial Day weekend.
All 15 girders are now in place, the City of Alexandria said in a social media post, crediting its partner, the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services. With the work done, the remaining days of the scheduled closure have been canceled and traffic has returned to normal, the city said.
The early finish ends a closure window that had been set to run during off-peak hours from May 16 through May 23. During that period, crews installed five girders by crane while the bridge closed in both directions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Those daytime closures are no longer in effect.
Metrobus routes A11 and A12, which had detoured via West Glebe Road and skipped stops on Mount Vernon Avenue between West Reed Avenue and South Glebe Road during the closures, are expected to resume normal service.
The girder work is part of the Arlington Ridge Road/Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge Reconstruction Project, a joint effort by Arlington County and the City of Alexandria to replace the deteriorated roadway and bridge deck. Construction began in summer 2025 and is expected to finish in summer 2027.
Crews remain in Phase 1, rebuilding the west side of the bridge. That phase is expected to be done in October 2026. During construction, one lane in each direction stays open, along with the east sidewalk.
The Four Mile Run Trail underpass on the Arlington County side, north of the bridge, remains closed during Phase 1. Trail users are detoured via South Lang Street and South Glebe Road, with signs posted along the route.
Arlington County has said the bridge will keep operating during construction with reduced lane capacity, a decision made in response to community concern over connectivity and effects on nearby residents and businesses. The county said project goals include returning the bridge to safe operation for all users, improving access for people walking, biking and driving, and advancing the community vision of the Four Mile Run Master Plan.
Funding comes from regional and state sources, with local money shared between Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. More information is available on Arlington County's project page.
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