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| National Park Service makes deadline for Memorial Bridge funds | National Park Service makes deadline for Memorial Bridge funds |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| In a last-minute attempt to help secure millions in federal funding to fix the crumbling Memorial Bridge, the District on Thursday joined the National Park Service as a co-sponsor in an application for a key federal grant. | In a last-minute attempt to help secure millions in federal funding to fix the crumbling Memorial Bridge, the District on Thursday joined the National Park Service as a co-sponsor in an application for a key federal grant. |
| The Park Service and the city submitted “a strong application” by Thursday night’s deadline, officials said, seeking $150 million from the Transportation Department’s FASTLANE program, which was created in December. | The Park Service and the city submitted “a strong application” by Thursday night’s deadline, officials said, seeking $150 million from the Transportation Department’s FASTLANE program, which was created in December. |
| “A joint applicant is essential to secure grant funding to repair this iconic bridge and critical transportation link between Virginia and DC used by 68,000 vehicles daily,” the Park Service said in a statement announcing that the application was submitted. | “A joint applicant is essential to secure grant funding to repair this iconic bridge and critical transportation link between Virginia and DC used by 68,000 vehicles daily,” the Park Service said in a statement announcing that the application was submitted. |
| In a letter Tuesday, members of Congress representing the Washington region urged the Park Service to apply for the program this year to secure some of those funds for the critical project. | In a letter Tuesday, members of Congress representing the Washington region urged the Park Service to apply for the program this year to secure some of those funds for the critical project. |
| As of Thursday afternoon, however, it wasn’t clear if the District would provide the required local co-sponsorship of the application. But officials worked behind the scenes to get the city on board and move the application forward. | As of Thursday afternoon, however, it wasn’t clear if the District would provide the required local co-sponsorship of the application. But officials worked behind the scenes to get the city on board and move the application forward. |
| [Memorial Bridge is part of $11.9 billion backlog, National Park Service says] | [Memorial Bridge is part of $11.9 billion backlog, National Park Service says] |
| D.C. officials had said Tuesday that the Park Service did not reach out to ask them to be a co-sponsor until last week and given such short notice, and with many legal and other hurdles, they could not sponsor an application. | D.C. officials had said Tuesday that the Park Service did not reach out to ask them to be a co-sponsor until last week and given such short notice, and with many legal and other hurdles, they could not sponsor an application. |
| The Park Service has not said why it failed to seek the needed state sponsorship early enough, risking missing the deadline. Spokesman Jeremy Barnum said the agency had just under a month to deliver the application. | |
| “We knew it would be extremely difficult to secure a co-sponsor in the short timeframe before the April 14 deadline,” he said, adding that the agency “quickly and in good faith worked to create a strong application and secure a co-sponsor.” | |
| In the letter to Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, Virginia Sens. Mark R. Warner (D) and Timothy M. Kaine (D), along with Reps. Don Beyer (D), Gerald E. Connolly (D) and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) urged the agency to act to secure funds for the bridge rehabilitation, describing the span as “not only a national memorial, but a critical multimodal link in the national capital region’s transportation network.” | In the letter to Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, Virginia Sens. Mark R. Warner (D) and Timothy M. Kaine (D), along with Reps. Don Beyer (D), Gerald E. Connolly (D) and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) urged the agency to act to secure funds for the bridge rehabilitation, describing the span as “not only a national memorial, but a critical multimodal link in the national capital region’s transportation network.” |
| The bridge is structurally deficient and in poor condition. Recent inspections show decayed steel supports, corroded rivets, crumbling concrete and ancient, peeling paint. | |
| The Park Service has been warning for years that the bridge is in desperate need of an overhaul that would cost about $250 million. The repairs contract has to be awarded in the next year or two to get the job done by 2021 to avoid a possible shutdown. | |
| [National Park Service likely to miss critical deadline for Memorial Bridge funds] | [National Park Service likely to miss critical deadline for Memorial Bridge funds] |
| Closing the 84-year-old bridge would be devastating for the region. | Closing the 84-year-old bridge would be devastating for the region. |
| It could cost local governments as much as $168,000 per day in transportation outlays alone, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. And, it would send traffic from the bridge to other area bridges that are already packed at rush hour, creating more extreme levels of gridlock in the critical entry points from Northern Virginia. | It could cost local governments as much as $168,000 per day in transportation outlays alone, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. And, it would send traffic from the bridge to other area bridges that are already packed at rush hour, creating more extreme levels of gridlock in the critical entry points from Northern Virginia. |
| The Memorial Bridge, located in the District, carries pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. The historic span has undergone $10 million in repairs since 2010, according to officials. | The Memorial Bridge, located in the District, carries pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. The historic span has undergone $10 million in repairs since 2010, according to officials. |