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The new Woodrow Wilson bridge was designed to improve the flow of traffic through one of the East Coast's worst traffic bottlenecks, but Thursday's dedication ceremony for the bridge's second span created eight miles of traffic gridlock.
While dignitaries, both local and national, gathered Thursday to dedicate the second span, traffic along the Capital Beltway's Inner Loop slowed to a crawl.
"I've been in traffic for about an hour and a half, and it's nonstop bumper to bumper," said one commuter.
Motorists stuck in traffic questioned the idea to hold a major even along one of the main arteries on the eastern seaboard. "Considering I'm going to be on the road for fifteen hours today, I don't think it's a great idea."
"I think it's horrible. I mean come on. I mean how hard is it to build a bridge? They built one just like it two years ago," said one frustrated commuter.
Project spokesman John Undeland apologized for the delays, blaming gawkers who slowed to check out the gathering of VIPs and media.
"We did schedule this in the middle of the day, trying to avoid when we're doing our ceremony," said Undeland. "But of course the set-up got everybody's attention. We're on the same level so people are going to rubberneck. Our message to motorists is to keep moving."
Stranded and simmering with anger, motorists grabbed their cell phones and flooded WTOP Radio with complaints. "Gas is sitting around $4 a gallon and they are costing an arm and a leg just to get over the bridge." Another angered driver said, "Everybody should sent their gas bill to the governor of Maryland and the mayor of D.C. For causing an eight mile back-up.
The ceremony is milestone in the eight-year, $2.5 billion project to alleviate a major traffic bottleneck. U.S. Senator John Warner of Virginia had the honor of ceremonially tightening the final bolt on the new span.
Do not expect immediate improvements in your commute, however. It will be at least two more weeks before motorists will be able to use some of the travel lanes on the new span. Both spans will not be fully operational until October or November.
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