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American Legion Memorial Bridge (Potomac River)
Encyclopedia
The American Legion Memorial Bridge, also known as the American Legion Bridge and formerly as the Cabin John Bridge, is a bridge
in Montgomery County, Maryland
, United States
. It carries the Capital Beltway
(Interstate 495) across the Potomac River
between Montgomery County and Fairfax County, Virginia
. It is an American Water Landmark
.
The bridge has five traffic lanes in each direction. The outermost lane in each direction is an exit-only lane. The outermost northbound lane is exit-only onto the Clara Barton Parkway, while the outermost lane in the southern direction is exit-only onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway
and Georgetown Pike (State Route 193). The bridge does not allow for pedestrians or cyclists.
Built in 1962, the bridge was originally named the "Cabin John Bridge" because of its proximity to the community of Cabin John
on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. It opened to traffic on Tuesday, December 31, 1963. On May 30, 1969, the bridge was officially renamed the "American Legion Memorial Bridge" in a ceremony led by Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey
, director of the U.S. Selective Service System
. This action reduced confusion with the Union Arch Bridge
, which carries the Washington Aqueduct
and MacArthur Boulevard across Cabin John Creek
and which some people also called "the Cabin John Bridge".
The American Legion Memorial Bridge is an important commuter route because of its proximity to edge cities
and high tech
centers in Maryland
and Virginia
, and is the only major crossing between Maryland and Virginia between the Point of Rocks Bridge, more than 30 miles (48.3 km) upstream, and the Chain Bridge downstream between Virginia and the District of Columbia. Congestion on the bridge and commuter travel between the western Washington suburbs in both states has fueled support for a western bridge around the Loudoun County
/Fairfax County
line in Virginia (Virginia Route 28/Fairfax County Parkway
area), or farther out as part of the Western Transportation Corridor. Opponents argue that another bridge would increase development in those areas, increase traffic, and generate more pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
The bridge crosses the western terminus of the Potomac Heritage Trail and the George Washington Memorial Parkway
on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. On the Maryland side, the bridge crosses over MacArthur Boulevard, the Clara Barton Parkway and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
. Lock 13 (Seven Locks 6)
of the canal is underneath the bridge.
The American Legion Memorial Bridge is one of the two locations at which the Capital Beltway crosses the Potomac River; the other is the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
in Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It carries the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
(Interstate 495) across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
between Montgomery County and Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
. It is an American Water Landmark
American Water Landmark
An American Water Landmark is a landmark within the United States or Canada that is a historic location and is associated in some way with water...
.
The bridge has five traffic lanes in each direction. The outermost lane in each direction is an exit-only lane. The outermost northbound lane is exit-only onto the Clara Barton Parkway, while the outermost lane in the southern direction is exit-only onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
and Georgetown Pike (State Route 193). The bridge does not allow for pedestrians or cyclists.
Built in 1962, the bridge was originally named the "Cabin John Bridge" because of its proximity to the community of Cabin John
Cabin John, Maryland
Cabin John is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The placename is a corruption of its original name of "Captain John's Mills."-Geography:...
on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. It opened to traffic on Tuesday, December 31, 1963. On May 30, 1969, the bridge was officially renamed the "American Legion Memorial Bridge" in a ceremony led by Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey
Lewis Blaine Hershey
Lewis Blaine Hershey was a United States Army four-star general who served as the second Director of the Selective Service System, the means by which the United States administers its military conscription.-Early life:...
, director of the U.S. Selective Service System
Selective Service System
The Selective Service System is a means by which the United States government maintains information on those potentially subject to military conscription. Most male U.S. citizens and male immigrant non-citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 are required by law to have registered within 30 days of...
. This action reduced confusion with the Union Arch Bridge
Union Arch Bridge
The Union Arch Bridge, also called the "Cabin John Bridge," is a historic masonry structure in Cabin John, Maryland. It was designed as part of the Washington Aqueduct and as a roadway bridge. The bridge construction began in 1857 and was completed in 1864. The roadway surface was added later...
, which carries the Washington Aqueduct
Washington Aqueduct
The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...
and MacArthur Boulevard across Cabin John Creek
Cabin John Creek (Potomac River)
Cabin John Creek is a tributary stream of the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland. The watershed covers an area of . The headwaters of the creek originate in the city of Rockville, and the creek flows southward for to the Potomac River....
and which some people also called "the Cabin John Bridge".
The American Legion Memorial Bridge is an important commuter route because of its proximity to edge cities
Edge city
"Edge city" is an American term for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional urban area in what had recently been a residential suburb or semi-rural community...
and high tech
High tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
centers in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and is the only major crossing between Maryland and Virginia between the Point of Rocks Bridge, more than 30 miles (48.3 km) upstream, and the Chain Bridge downstream between Virginia and the District of Columbia. Congestion on the bridge and commuter travel between the western Washington suburbs in both states has fueled support for a western bridge around the Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
/Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
line in Virginia (Virginia Route 28/Fairfax County Parkway
Fairfax County Parkway
The Fairfax County Parkway, signed as State Route 7100, is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It provides a north–south arterial route in Fairfax County with a mix of interchanges and signalized and unsignalized intersections. Its alignment roughly corresponds to part of...
area), or farther out as part of the Western Transportation Corridor. Opponents argue that another bridge would increase development in those areas, increase traffic, and generate more pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
The bridge crosses the western terminus of the Potomac Heritage Trail and the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. On the Maryland side, the bridge crosses over MacArthur Boulevard, the Clara Barton Parkway and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
. Lock 13 (Seven Locks 6)
Locks on the C&O Canal
The Locks on the C&O Canal, located in Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. of the United States, were numbered from 1 to 75 with two locks, 63⅓ and 64⅔, having fractional numbers and no lock 65...
of the canal is underneath the bridge.
The American Legion Memorial Bridge is one of the two locations at which the Capital Beltway crosses the Potomac River; the other is the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.
External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Map and satellite image from Eyeball series