Letter
Dear Ms. Nersesian:
In its meeting of 21 May, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a revised concept design for the proposed expansion of the Long Bridge corridor, a complex of bridges and embankments extending between Virginia and the District of Columbia; the scope of this submission is the southern part of the corridor, from the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia to the Potomac River’s east bank at Ohio Drive, SW. Delegating the review of the final design to the staff, the Commission approved the concept proposal and provided the following comments.
In their discussion, the Commission members endorsed Option 1 for the pedestrian bridge supports, which proposes an octagonal form for the columns instead of the previously proposed round shape. They noted this design’s similarity to the proposed pile caps, and they cited its simpler form among the options provided as the basis for their support. In addition, while they acknowledged that the historic truss bridge is not under the authority of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, they urged that the appropriate entity undertake proper maintenance to ensure the bridge’s beauty and longevity in this important viewshed.
Please coordinate the delegated final review of this project with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Jen Nersesian, Regional Director
Region 1 – National Capital Area
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: Shirlene Cleveland, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority
Andrea Lake, Floura Teeter Landscape Architects
Sharon Kershbaum, D.C. Department of Transportation