Officials Warn of Delays South of Washington This Weekend

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ruckers and motorists drivers heading south from Washington, D.C., Friday and Saturday nights will be routed around the intersection of Interstate 395 and the Capital Beltway because of a big ongoing construction project near Springfield, Va.

Meanwhile, one of two six-lane spans of the new Wilson Bridge — within the I-95 portion of the Beltway crossing the Potomac River — opened ceremonially Thursday and is scheduled to open to traffic in early June, the project's Web site said.

Officials warned in advance that the weekend of June 9, when traffic switches from the current Wilson Bridge to the new one, will lead to severe traffic delays, calling it a "stay away" weekend. There will be another such weekend in mid-July.

This weekend’s delays will be the first of as many as eight weekends of delays while workers hoist new bridge at the intersection of I-395 and the Beltway, the Washington Post reported.

he I-395, and I-95 intersection will close from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday and again from 8 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.

Drivers will be routed through a detour, which will add an estimated 25 to 45 minutes to their trip, officials said.