Drivers on or near the 14th Street Potomac River bridge Friday might hear what sound like brief explosions, Virginia’s passenger rail agency said.
Construction of the nearby Long Bridge project, which will double the rail capacity across the Potomac River, includes a series of load tests scheduled for late morning Friday and on May 7.
“During the statnamic tests, resident and trail users in the project vicinity may hear loud noises that resemble an explosion,” the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority said in a release. “Each test will last for a few seconds.”
Statnamic testing is used to verify the load-bearing capacity of bridge foundation elements. The testing uses a rapid release of force — similar to heavy pile drivers — to simulate the weight and stress the bridge piles will experience once in use.
Cranes and barges supporting the bridge work are in the Potomac near East Potomac Park, and are visible from the 14th Street Bridge and the Metrorail trains crossing the river.
The project involves building a new two-track corridor, to bolster the current 100-year-old two-track bridge that carries both Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express passenger trains, as well as CSX freight trains.
When it’s completed, the new bridge will allow the separation of passenger and freight service on the perpetually congested stretch that serves L’Enfant Plaza and Union Station.
The Long Bridge project, which broke ground in October 2024, is currently expected to be completed in 2030.
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