[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 31 (Thursday, March 19, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             WOODROW WILSON MEMORIAL BRIDGE REPLACEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 19, 1998

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce 
legislation that would authorize full federal funding for the 
replacement of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge.
  As many of my colleagues know, the present bridge is in a serious 
state of disrepair and is one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the 
metropolitan region. It is also the most troubled link on the east 
coast interstate corridor. Designed to carry 70,000 cars and trucks per 
day the bridge now carries 175,000 vehicles per day. By the year 2020, 
Federal Highway Administration estimates a 67 percent increase in 
vehicle traffic with up to 300,000 vehicles per day crossing the 
bridge. The future capacity needs alone should make the construction of 
a new crossing urgent.
  Coupled with the capacity concerns, however, is the rapidly 
deteriorating condition of the present bridge. Federal and state 
highway engineers have determined that the useful life of the present 
bridge is less than six years. The underpinnings and supports of the 
bridge are literally crumbling into the Potomac River. The Federal 
Highway Administration has warned that at some point in the near 
future, it will need to restrict traffic on the bridge and would likely 
ban truck traffic for engineering and safety reasons.
  While I would have favored replacing the present bridge with a 
tunnel, I recognize that there is not enough money in the federal 
highway program to support such a costly undertaking. There should, 
however, be sufficient funds for the Federal Government to meet its 
responsibility to pay for a replacement bridge. The bridge is owned by 
the Federal Government and will remain a federal liability until the 
funds are made available to replace it with a new bridge. At that time, 
the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia and the State of 
Maryland are prepared to assume ownership and all future maintenance of 
this bridge through a multi-state authority.
  I am deeply concerned that without a significant increase in the 
amount of federal funds pledged to build a new bridge, no significant 
progress will be made. My proposal authorizes full federal funding for 
the replacement bridge, the connecting interchanges and approaches. It 
also seeks to address some of the concerns raised by the affected 
community that endure the current congestion and traffic and will 
suffer from a bridge construction project that may last up to nine 
years. The legislation, therefore also seeks to address their concerns 
by ensuring that there is:
  (1) Progress on an additional southern Potomac River crossing, (2) a 
restriction on tolls, (3) a restriction on the width of the bridge, (4) 
a limitation on the total number of operational lanes, (5) a 
requirement that the final two lanes be reserved exclusively for High 
Occupancy Vehicle lanes and/or mass transit, and (6) an enforcement 
mechanism to ensure that both the State and Federal Governments honor 
the mitigation commitments outlined in the Record of Decision.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe this legislation reflects a compromise on what 
must be done to get a replacement bridge built.

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