WASHINGTON – Work on the 16th Street bridge at Military Road is wrapping up early, promising congestion relief for the tens of thousands of drivers who take it daily.
During rebuilding, only one lane in each direction has been open on the bridge. On July 1, the District Department of Transportation plans to reopen all lanes in both directions. That date is about two weeks ahead of schedule.
The 16th Street corridor is the the busiest for Metro buses and popular north-south route for drivers traveling between the District and Montgomery County.
DDOT says more than 30,000 vehicles go over the bridge daily.
The agency says delays during construction, which started last fall, were actually not as bad as it anticipated. Many commuters found alternate routes, cutting the average delay to 5-10 minutes.
Starting Friday night, 16th Street will be closed completely for 24 hours. DDOT suggests drivers take 14th Street as an alternative.
