The bike and pedestrian trail across the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge is closing next week and is not expected to reopen for a year.
The closure takes effect Monday, Sept. 21, as the bridge’s rehabilitation moves into its next phase, according to a District Department of Transportation advisory. DDOT anticipates reopening the trail in September 2027.
Signed detours will send people walking and biking to the Key Bridge or Arlington Memorial Bridge. DDOT’s detour plan puts the Key Bridge route at 2.3 miles, or 47 minutes on foot, and the Memorial Bridge route at 2.4 miles, or 50 minutes.
Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail advised people who cross the bridge regularly to “plan some extra time and a new route before heading out,” according to its Instagram post.
One reader who flagged the closure to ARLnow raised concerns about the D.C. end of the northern detour.
“Lots of people use this,” the reader said. “They want us to use Key Bridge, which feeds into M Street NW, which is not safe for bikes.”
Two I-66 westbound off-ramps close the same day. The exit to Route 50 westbound, the route toward Arlington and Rosslyn, is expected to stay closed until March 2027. The exit to the northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway is expected to stay closed until May 2027.
Drivers headed either way should continue west on I-66 and use Exit 73. Mainline I-66 remains open.
From the DDOT advisory:
Route 50 Westbound Exit Closure: Motorists traveling westbound on I-66 toward Arlington/Rosslyn via Route 50 should continue west on I-66, use Exit 73, and follow the posted Arlington/Rosslyn detour. The ramp is anticipated to reopen in March 2027.
Northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway Exit Closure: Motorists traveling westbound on I-66 toward the northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway should continue west on I-66, use Exit 73, and follow posted detour signs to northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway. The ramp is anticipated to reopen in May 2027.
The Pedestrian Trail: Bike/Pedestrian trail crossing the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge will also close beginning September 21, 2026, and is anticipated to reopen in September 2027. Signed detours utilizing Key Bridge and Arlington Memorial Bridge will be in place during the closures.
The closures let crews start demolishing and rebuilding the I-66 westbound off-ramps, work that also includes a wider sidewalk, upgraded lighting and fencing, DDOT said. Demolition and reconstruction along the I-66 mainline follows.
The rehabilitation began in May 2025 and has rerouted Arlington drivers repeatedly since. The eastbound Arlington Blvd ramp onto the bridge closed in February and reopened in May, the same day the southbound GW Parkway ramp closed for repairs expected to last through mid-August.
The work replaces the bridge deck and is expected to extend the structure’s life by 20 to 30 years. It will also widen the north sidewalk to 10 feet, upgrade the traffic barrier and replace all existing signage. DDOT anticipates finishing the project in spring 2028.
The bridge opened in 1964 and carries about 95,000 vehicles per day, representing 25% of D.C. traffic across the Potomac River.
