Notice2025-22506
Request for Information on Expediting Delivery of the American Legion Memorial Bridge
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 11, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Highway Administration
Abstract
FHWA invites public input and proposals on innovative project delivery methods to ensure cost-effective and efficient reconstruction of the American Legion Memorial Bridge (the Bridge) connecting Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia and the Interstate 495 (I-495) & Interstate 270 (I-270) Managed Lane Project.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 236 (Thursday, December 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 236 (Thursday, December 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57522-57524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22506]
[[Page 57522]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2025-0335]
Request for Information on Expediting Delivery of the American
Legion Memorial Bridge
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice; request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: FHWA invites public input and proposals on innovative project
delivery methods to ensure cost-effective and efficient reconstruction
of the American Legion Memorial Bridge (the Bridge) connecting
Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia and the
Interstate 495 (I-495) & Interstate 270 (I-270) Managed Lane Project.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 9, 2026. Late-
filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: To ensure you do not duplicate your docket submissions,
please submit comments by only one of the following means:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and
follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590;
<bullet> Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The
telephone number is (202) 366-9329.
<bullet> Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket
number at the beginning of your comments. Except as described below
under the heading ``Confidential Business Information,'' all
submissions received, including any personal information provided, will
be posted without change or alteration to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. For more
information, you may review the U.S. Department of Transportation's
complete Privacy Act Statement published in the Federal Register on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice,
please contact Brian Hogge, FHWA Office of Infrastructure, (334) 399-
0081, or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0260706b636c2c6a6d65656742666d762c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="caa8b8a3aba4e4a2a5adadaf8aaea5bee4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>. For legal questions, please
contact Mariya Tikhonova, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-
1356, or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#caa7abb8a3b3abe4bea3a1a2a5a4a5bcab8aaea5bee4ada5bc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="751814071c0c145b011c1e1d1a1b1a031435111a015b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>. Office hours for FHWA
are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access and Filing
A copy of this notice, all comments received on this notice, and
all background material may be viewed online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>
using the above listed docket number. Electronic retrieval assistance
and guidelines are also available at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. An electronic
copy of this document may also be downloaded from the Office of the
Federal Register's website at: <a href="http://www.FederalRegister.gov">www.FederalRegister.gov</a> and the U.S.
Government Publishing Office's website at: <a href="http://www.GovInfo.gov">www.GovInfo.gov</a>.
Confidential Business Information
Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial
information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by
its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552),
CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to
this notice contain commercial or financial information that is
customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and
that is relevant or responsive to this notice, it is important for you
to clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI.
You may ask FHWA to give confidential treatment to information you
give to the Agency by taking the following steps: (1) mark each page of
the original document submission containing CBI as ``Confidential'';
(2) send FHWA, along with the original document, a second copy of the
original document with the CBI deleted; and (3) explain why the
information you are submitting is CBI. FHWA will protect confidential
information, complying with the CBI requirements to the extent required
under applicable law. If DOT receives a FOIA request for the
information the applicant has marked in accordance with this notice,
DOT will follow the procedures described in its FOIA regulations at 49
CFR 7.29. Only information marked in accordance with this notice and
ultimately determined to be exempt from disclosure under FOIA and 49
CFR 7.29 will not be released to a requester or placed in the public
docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to:
Mr. Brian Hogge, FHWA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590,
via mail or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b1d3c3d8d0df9fd9ded6d6d4f1d5dec59fd6dec7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6e0c1c070f0040060109090b2e0a011a40090118">[email protected]</span></a> via email. Any comment submissions FHWA
receives that are not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in
the public docket for this matter.
Purpose
The I-495 & I-270 Managed Lane Project is designed to address
severe, worsening congestion throughout this vital interstate corridor
serving the National Capital Region, which is the most congested region
in the nation based on annual delay and congestion per auto commuter.
I-495 west of I-270 had an Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) of
255,000 vehicles per day and I-270 had an AADT over 265,000 vehicles
per day in 2019. The I-495 & I-270 corridor functions as the primary
east coast bypass for long-distance travelers on I-95. The Project will
feature express toll lanes in addition to the free general purpose
lanes. Virginia's I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension project will
extend the existing Express Lanes on I-495 in Virginia by approximately
three miles to the American Legion Memorial Bridge. In 2019, Maryland
and Virginia announced a ``Capital Beltway Accord'' that worked in a
bipartisan fashion to build express lanes into Maryland. The pervasive
congestion across the entire I-495 & I-270 corridor complicates daily
trips, causes chronic delays, and increases safety risks and costs for
all users.
The American Legion Memorial Bridge is the most significant
bottleneck in the I-495 & I-270 corridor. As a nationally significant
connector, the severe congestion on the Bridge and its approaches
affects the normal everyday life of the traveling public and imposes
additional costs and delays to the flow of commerce. For local
commuters, it is a daily struggle to traverse the American Legion
Memorial Bridge, requiring the need to build in additional time for
commutes, face the uncertainty of unanticipated delays, and navigate
various safety challenges. In addition, the location of the Bridge in
serving our nation's capital, a thriving metropolitan area attracting a
mix of other drivers including Federal and military personnel,
diplomatic and international drivers, tourists, and other visitors,
poses its own unique challenges in terms of managing congestion. On the
freight side, both short-haul and long-haul freight operations are
impeded by congestion leading to costly delays in meeting delivery
schedules, unnecessary wear on both drivers and equipment, and again,
safety challenges associated with competing traffic. Whether a driver
is commuting to their office, transporting goods, visiting
[[Page 57523]]
friends or family, or simply traveling through the area enroute to
another place, congestion on the American Legion Memorial Bridge is
complicating the trip, causing delays, and increasing safety risks and
costs.
This RFI is an invitation to assist in identifying or proposing
solutions or ideas to best advance bridge reconstruction, and ensure
reconstruction advances safety, mobility, and technological innovation
on the American Legion Memorial Bridge. The purpose is to enable
interested stakeholders to provide input, submit proposals, facilitate
dialogue, and galvanize action towards resolving a serious
transportation challenge on the national transportation network. Ideas
can be broad in nature, or specific actions such as project proposals
or engineering solutions. Although FHWA does not own the American
Legion Memorial Bridge, in its responsibility to ensure America's roads
and highways remain safe and technologically sound, it is compelled to
initiate this exercise and will share submissions with the Maryland
Department of Transportation (MDOT) for consideration.
Background
Decades of rapid population growth and surging travel demand have
transformed the American Legion Memorial Bridge into one of the
Nation's most congested and freight-critical crossings. Since the
Bridge was last improved in 1992, Fairfax and Montgomery Counties
combined have added more than half a million residents, placing
extraordinary strain on this key connection.
The American Legion Memorial Bridge connects two major population
centers in Maryland and Virginia along I-495. It is a crucial connector
for transportation needs in the National Capital Region, including
access to jobs and essential services. It is also a nationally
significant connector for interstate commerce. The American Legion
Memorial Bridge is the only high-volume crossing between Montgomery
County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia. It is also the only
major crossing between Maryland and Virginia between the Point of Rocks
Bridge, more than 30 miles (50 km) upstream, and the Chain Bridge
downstream between Virginia and the District of Columbia. The Bridge is
also one of the two locations at which the Capital Beltway crosses the
Potomac River. The other crossing is the Woodrow Wilson Memorial
Bridge, both spans of which were replaced with the Inner Loop span
being open to traffic in 2008.
The American Legion Memorial Bridge now carries an AADT of over
216,000 vehicles and 21,400 heavy trucks per day, and peak commuting
speeds frequently fall to roughly 15 miles per hour. Congestion at the
Bridge is prolonged and recurring, which translates directly into
measurable costs. Several converging pressures make timely action
urgent:
<bullet> Growing demand and constrained capacity: The National
Capital Region continues to grow in both population and employment.
Over the next 25 years, the Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments projects a 23 percent increase in population (adding
approximately 1.3 million residents) and a 29 percent increase in jobs,
or about 1 million additional positions. Traffic volumes at the
American Legion Memorial Bridge are already at or above the original
design capacity during peak periods. Without modernization, continued
regional growth will only magnify delay and unreliability.
<bullet> Bottleneck network impacts: The corridor is identified on
the 2024 National List of Major Freight Highway Bottlenecks and
Congested Corridors, with an estimated annual congestion cost due to
truck delay of $43 million. Several major routes converge onto I-495 at
the American Legion Memorial Bridge, concentrating regional traffic
demand. When capacity is exceeded, the Bridge operates as a critical
choke point, generating delays that ripple throughout the regional
highway network rather than remaining localized to the crossing.
<bullet> Economic and freight significance: I-495 is a Tier-1
corridor within the Regionally Significant Highway Freight Network for
the National Capital Region. Freight-dependent industries
(transportation, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing support)
represent a major component of the regional economy, collectively
contributing about 19 percent of the region's Gross Domestic Product
(over $660 billion in 2022). Recurring congestion along this high-
volume freight corridor drives up business operating costs, reduces
economic competitiveness, and ultimately increases costs for consumers.
As part of its broader I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study, the
State of Maryland seeks to fully replace the more than 60-year-old
bridge. As stated in the June 17, 2022, Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) and in the Record of Decision (ROD) issued on August
25, 2022, the reconstruction is expected to relieve congestion, and
improve reliability and roadway performance.
FHWA is committed to improving safety and mobility on our nation's
highways through national leadership, innovation, and program delivery.
Through financial and technical assistance to State and local
governments, FHWA helps ensure America's roads and highways are among
the safest and most technologically sound in the world. To this end,
FHWA seeks public input on how to best advance bridge reconstruction,
and ensure reconstruction advances safety, mobility, and technological
innovation.
As noted in the FEIS, the State does not possess the necessary
revenue to independently fund replacement of the Bridge, nor to obtain
the requisite bonding capacity. These challenges have held up
construction on the project. So, to assist in cost-effective delivery
of this regionally significant project, FHWA requests public input on
innovative project delivery methods to ensure the project is
constructed to the highest safety standards and without any further
delay. Public-private partnerships (P3) help address public funding
constraints by enabling projects to be financed over longer periods,
transferring appropriate risks to the private sector, reducing
lifecycle costs through private-sector efficiencies, and leveraging
private capital to support upfront construction. Secretary Duffy has
emphasized a commitment to making the United States the world's leading
destination for private infrastructure investment. Collaboration with
the private sector also introduces additional due diligence and
diversifies funding sources, enhancing both accountability and project
delivery.
As the ROD was issued in August 2022, FHWA is not seeking public
input on environmental impacts of bridge reconstruction. Instead, this
RFI is seeking public input on innovative project delivery approaches
to accelerate reconstruction, the level of industry interest and
capabilities, and how congestion affects travel, safety, and economic
activity.
Nature of Information Request
This RFI is being conducted to inform and develop ideas, thoughts,
and proposals on how to best advance bridge reconstruction, and ensure
reconstruction advances safety, mobility, and technological innovation
on the American Legion Memorial Bridge. FHWA's goal is to solicit
information to assist FHWA's internal reviews of the issue and to
provide the same to MDOT, the owner of the Bridge, for further
consideration. FHWA may use this information to assist, inform,
[[Page 57524]]
and identify solutions to one of the worst bottlenecks in the Nation.
Specifically, the information will be used by FHWA to:
<bullet> Obtain information and data to better understand the
congestion-related impacts across the spectrum of the traveling public
and residents.
<bullet> Collect statements of interest and capabilities from
qualified industry partners capable of addressing these issues.
<bullet> Learn more about potential designs or business proposals
which would address the issue.
<bullet> Solicit feedback on the public's interest in the use of
private-sector partnerships and support.
<bullet> Gather cost and timeline information associated with these
solutions.
Request for Comments and Information
FHWA requests information from the public on innovative project
proposals and delivery methods to support the timely and efficient
reconstruction of the American Legion Memorial Bridge and the I-495 &
I-270 Managed Lane Project to the highest safety standards and without
any further delay. FHWA is also seeking information on the impact of
increasing congestion and project delivery delays on individuals,
businesses, and communities. Questions #1-5 are focused on the American
Legion Memorial Bridge. Question #6 is about the I-495 & I-270 Managed
Lane Project.
When providing this information, FHWA requests that all respondents
clearly identify: the respondent type (individual, business, public
agency, non-profit, etc.); any relevant geographic area affected; and
supporting data where available. Please include any relevant rendering,
designs, or descriptions to provide additional clarity.
1. General Questions
a. What are the primary challenges or barriers preventing
completion of the American Legion Memorial Bridge reconstruction?
b. What specific actions, project proposals, or strategies could
help accelerate project delivery of the American Legion Memorial Bridge
reconstruction?
c. What additional support, resources, or coordination would help
advance the American Legion Memorial Bridge reconstruction to
completion?
2. Innovative Project Delivery Methods To Accelerate Reconstruction
a. What innovative delivery mechanisms, such as P3s, could be
applied to accelerate the American Legion Memorial Bridge
reconstruction to minimize short-term and long-term financial burden on
taxpayers?
b. What potential revenue sources could be generated to cover all
or part of the project's costs?
c. If the American Legion Memorial Bridge reconstruction is not
delivered via P3, which alternative contracting methods (e.g., design-
build, construction manager/general contractor, progressive design-
build) are best suited to accelerate delivery while achieving safety
and quality standards for this project?
d. What accelerated construction methods (e.g., precast concrete
systems, slide-in bridge replacement, prefabricated bridge elements and
systems) could be applied to minimize lane closures and maximize
safety?
e. Are there other projects in other States which can be used as a
helpful case study or reference point?
f. What is a reasonable amount of time and cost for a project of
this size and complexity?
3. Industry Interest and Capabilities
a. What industry qualifications and experiences would be helpful in
taking on a project at this level?
b. Are there specific companies or industries which are well-
equipped to take on projects at this level?
c. If a specific company is interested, please submit: company name
and address; link to the company website (if applicable); and points of
contact including telephone number and email address.
d. What steps can be taken to enhance competition and deliver
better value for taxpayers?
4. Impacts of Congestion
a. How has congestion around the American Legion Memorial Bridge
affected your daily commute, fuel consumption, travel time, and
reliability?
b. Has the congestion around the American Legion Memorial Bridge
affected your stress levels, health, and overall quality of life?
c. Has the congestion caused a loss of leisure time or otherwise
reduced the amount of time spent with friends, family, hobbies, or
rest?
d. What direct and indirect economic impacts have you observed
(e.g., reduced productivity, increased freight or delivery costs,
missed appointments or shipments, lost sales, increased vehicle
operating costs)?
e. Which travel patterns (work-based trips, school routes,
emergency services, chores, errands) are most disrupted by the
congestion?
f. Are there specific days, times, or circumstances in which the
congestion is acutely observed?
g. What kind of wear and tear on your vehicle have you had to
address as a result of the congestion?
h. In your experience, how effectively do managed lanes (like
Express Lanes or managed lanes) reduce overall traffic congestion and
improve reliability on the corridor?
5. Project Proposals
a. Interested parties are invited to submit proposals that would
advance bridge reconstruction, and ensure such reconstruction advances
safety, mobility, and technological innovation. Such proposals need
only be general concepts. Any proposals submitted to FHWA will be used
for the purpose of informing and developing ideas, thoughts, and
proposals on how to best advance bridge reconstruction. In addition,
any such proposals will be shared with MDOT for consideration.
6. I-495 & I-270 Corridor
a. What are the most significant challenges or barriers preventing
the timely completion of the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lane Project?
b. What specific actions, project proposals, or strategies could be
implemented to accelerate delivery of the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lane
Project?
c. What additional support, resources, or coordination would help
to advance the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lane Project to completion?
d. What innovative project delivery methods are best suited to
accelerate the completion of the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lane Project?
e. What is the industry interest and capacity to undertake a
project of the scale and complexity of the I-495 & I-270 Managed Lane
Project?
f. What other impacts does congestion on the I-495 & I-270 corridor
cause?
Timeline and Delivery of Submittal
Submittals should be submitted within 60 days after this
announcement is published in the Federal Register. FHWA may request
additional clarification to responses directly related to this RFI
through direct contact with respondents.
Sean McMaster,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-22506 Filed 12-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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