Kutz Bridge Rehabilitation - Structure No. 3400-032P

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The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Department (EFLHD), proposes to rehabilitate Kutz Bridge, which is managed by NPS. The Kutz Bridge carries the eastbound leg of Independence Ave. S.W. over the tidal basin & is located in West Potomac Park, in Washington D.C. Vehicle and pedestrian usage of this road has risen heavily in the last five years. This bridge is located on one of the main routes into Washington D.C. and is heavily used by commuters, visitors, tour buses and trams. The purpose of the project is to rehabilitation the structure to address needed maintenance issues and to widen the bridge's south sidewalk to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclist using the bridge. The completion of this project and continued maintenance would result in a useful life expectancy of approximately 25-30 years.

The Kutz Bridge first known as the Independence Avenue Bridge was constructed in 1942 - finished in 1943. Kutz Bridge is listed on NR as a contributing element of the East & West Potomac Parks Historic District (1973). The existing guardrails were added in 1960's.

The project includes: (1) Milling the existing asphalt, patching the underlying concrete where needed and then overlaying with new asphalt; (2) Replacing the existing concrete curbing on both approaches to the bridge with granite to comply with the District's 14th Streetscape Plan; (3) Re-stripping vehicle travel lanes to 10 ft.; (4) Widening the south sidewalk to meet ADA requirements and to improve safety; (5) Removing, sand blasting and repainting the existing lamp posts and replacing the existing lamps with energy efficient LED lamps; (6) Removing and replacing existing guardrail in-kind (similar look and material); (7) Repairing existing stone work by repointing of the stone; (8) Repairing erosion at both ends of the bridge and (9) Repairing some steel superstructure.

Construction is expected to take place during spring of 2014. During construction three lanes of traffic will be open during morning rush hours, two lanes will remain open for the rest of the day until 7 p.m. and a single lane will remain open to traffic from 7 p.m. until the beginning of rush hour.


Contact Information

Kristen Hamilton FAX 202-426-0099