Humpback Bridge to Lose Its Bump

WASHINGTON -- A bridge known for its hump will soon be losing that bump. Citing safety concerns, federal officials are moving forward with plans to revamp the Humpback Bridge on the George Washington Parkway .

More than 75,000 vehicles a day cross the bridge, which spans the Boundary Channel near the Columbia Island Marina. The bridge presents sight line problems for drivers when they approach it, hence the name. It will undergo a makeover starting in early January.

"This was never meant to be a major commuter road," says Ron Zeitz with the Federal Highway Administration. "But now the area around the bridge has the highest accident rate on the Parkway."

In addition to traffic from the G.W. Parkway, the bridge also is the merge point onto Interstate 395. Exit lanes toward the L.B.J. Memorial Grove and Columbia Island Marina are near the bridge. All of these access roads make the area around the Humpback Bridge very tricky to navigate.

Once the work is completed, bikers, runners and walkers on the Mount Vernon Trail will have an easier time getting across the bridge. The renovation plans call for a stone wall to safely separate pedestrians and traffic. Now pedestrians come very close to cars and trucks.

Tunnels also will be built under the bridge so pedestrians no longer have to cross the parkway in the face of oncoming traffic.

Work on the bridge is expected to last into the spring 2010. Most of the construction will take place during non-rush hours travel times.

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