No news that the new span of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is now open, but I was able to drive it for the first time yesterday on my way home from McLean. Sure, I’m not one to believe that a new bridge will be the panacea to our river crossing traffic ills, but I was none the less horrified by the 8 mile backup I experienced as I approached the new bridge from the Virginia side. Sure, it was Friday afternoon but I’d NEVER experienced an 8 mile backup with the old bridge unless there was an accident on the bridge span somewhere. Alleviate congestion my ass! I guess we call this progress….

On the Maryland side, commuters will still use the OLD bridge and get to watch the demolition crews breaking up what used to be the other half of the old bridge… not exactly the most comforting feeling in the world as you sit on a bridge with thousands of other cars, 50 feet above the Potomac as construction crews happily DESTROY the other half of the very bridge you’re driving on.

All in all, a rather unremarkable experience. I didn’t see any walkways on the bridge for pedestrians (it would be a great view, overlooking the Potomac), but it did appear as though the bridge would have a “middle” lane, perhaps an HOV or HOT lane until Metro occupies it? Sitting in an 8 mile back-up also afforded me the opportunity to view many interesting bumper stickers and such, the top one being a bumper sticker on some woman’s Scion that read “I Heart My Big Fake Boobs”… never got a chance to pull up along side to substantiate, though. Such is life.. stuck in traffic.