Two local counties are joining forces to help alleviate traffic by bridging Maryland and Virginia.

Continue reading

Officials in Montgomery and Fairfax counties want to add an extra lane to each side of the American Legion Bridge.

To ease the bottlenecking commuters are familar with, Montgomery County's Roger Berliner and Fairfax County's Sharon Bulova are looking at the bridge's shoulders as a solution.

In a letter to transportation officials, the duo urge them "to review options for peak hour use of shoulders as exclusive bus lanes or opening the shoulder for general purpose traffic."

But what if a car breaks down?

"Legitimate question. It's why people have been reluctant, but we've done it on I-66, and 95. These are manageable issues," Roger Berliner, (D) Montgomery County Council President.

While Laurent Myers, who hits Maryland, D.C. and Virginia daily on his drive, welcomes any efforts to ease congestion. However, he isn't quite sure the shoulder is the way to go.

"I didn't really remember any shoulders on the bridge...not much room besides drive lanes, but more lanes divide the number of cars that are out there...," Myers added.

Until transportation officials weigh in, the idea remains a proposal.