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47-467: National Harbor is one of the most visited destinations in the United States, with over 28 million visitors annually. The land developed for National Harbor was previously Salubria Plantation, built in 1827 by Dr. John H. Bayne . The plantation house burned down in 1981 and was offered for sale along with the surrounding land. The land was sold in 1984 and in 1994 was rezoned for mixed-use development. In

94-524: A 300-room hotel as well as a 135,000-square-foot (12,500 m) casino , stores, a spa, restaurants, a 1,200-seat theater, a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m) convention area, and a 5,000-square-foot (460 m) parking garage. Melwood first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. Census formed from part of the Fort Washington CDP. As of the census of 2010 , there were 3,788 people, 1,598 households, and 868 families residing in

141-650: A beachfront walking path and a connection to a bike trail on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge that crosses into Alexandria, Virginia . Amusements include a children's carousel , and the Capital Wheel , a 175-foot Ferris wheel on a pier that extends into the Potomac River . There is a fast food restaurant and a gas station among the northern ramps that provide the only ways in or out of National Harbor. In December 2016, MGM Resorts opened MGM National Harbor ,

188-474: A culinary festival and outdoor concerts by military bands, an outdoor movie screen facing the river, an annual ice sculpture exhibition, and a Peeps Day with a Peeps eating contest. The national spelling bee competition is held there. The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, with 2,000 rooms, is the largest hotel between New Jersey and Florida, and the largest in the Washington area. The site includes

235-428: A day, more than 2.6 times the original design capacity. The bridge had serious maintenance problems and underwent continuous patchwork maintenance beginning in the 1970s. It was completely redecked in 1982 and 1983. One of the reasons for the inadequate design was that it was not originally planned to be part of the major north–south I-95 , but rather, as part of the circumferential Capital Beltway . I-95

282-441: A jurisdiction that once had ownership rights to the 1961 Wilson Bridge span, relinquished future ownership rights and responsibility for the new bridge. Additionally, DC granted a permanent easement to Maryland and Virginia for the portion of the bridge located within its boundaries. Of the 12 lanes, six are used for local traffic. Four lanes, isolated from the local lanes, are used for through traffic. The bridge design allows for

329-469: A lawsuit against National Harbor's developer in exchange for assurances of greater investment in the surrounding community and better access to mass transit. The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge , which forms part of the Capital Beltway near National Harbor, was built to allow capacity for a future Washington Metro line. However, there are no current plans to extend rail over the bridge to development. Instead,

376-413: A plan that would double the capacity and increase the height of the drawbridge to reduce the frequency of openings. The new bridge would include two side-by-side drawbridges with a total of 12  lanes and 70 feet (21 m) of vertical navigational clearance at the draw span. The project also included an extensive redesign and reconstruction of the Capital Beltway as it approached the new bridge from

423-658: A showroom of the company's latest vehicles, interactive STEM labs for children, and retail merchandise mostly featuring the company's brand. On October 21, 2023, Titanic: The Exhibition, a museum in National Harbor, was open to the public. It features sculptures, models, and artifacts from the RMS Titanic , which sank on April 14, 1912. The site has a convention center, six hotels, restaurants, shops, and condominiums. National Harbor hosted Cirque du Soleil in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 and also features outdoor activities such as

470-435: Is also the shortest segment of Interstate Highway between state lines. The bridge is named for the 28th president of the U.S., Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), a native of Staunton, Virginia . While he was president, Wilson reportedly spent an average of two hours a day riding in his automobile to relax or to "loosen his mind from the problems before him". President Wilson was an advocate of automobile and highway improvements in

517-840: Is in Virginia, a small portion is in Washington, D.C. , and the remaining majority of it is within Maryland (because that section of the Potomac River is within Maryland's borders). About 300 feet (91 m) of the western midspan portion of the bridge crosses the tip of the southernmost corner of the District of Columbia. It is the only bridge in the US that crosses the borders of three state-level jurisdictions (DC, Maryland, and Virginia). The section in Washington DC

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564-462: Is now a Local Motors facility. On November 29, 2012, ground was broken for a Tanger Outlets shopping facility a mile east of the National Harbor waterfront, which opened in November 2013. The Capital Wheel (ferris wheel) opened in the mid-year of 2014. An MGM -branded casino , called MGM National Harbor , opened at National Harbor on December 8, 2016, following voters' approval of an expansion to

611-675: The Capital Beltway ). The Regional Planning Council approved construction of the bridge just four months later. The bridge won the backing of Representative Joel Broyhill of Virginia, who championed legislation funding its construction in Congress. By November 1953, the US Department of the Interior had also recommended its construction. Congress authorized construction of the bridge on August 17, 1954, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed

658-755: The Northeast Freeway —was opposed by residents, and construction was canceled in the late 1970s. The portion north of Springfield was designated as a spur, I-395 (Shirley Highway). The eastern half of the Capital Beltway was additionally signed as I‑95. Traffic was also boosted by growth in the Washington metropolitan area and increases in suburb-to-suburb commuting . Because housing costs in Prince George's County, Maryland , are much lower than in Northern Virginia —which saw enormous job growth in recent decades—tens of thousands of workers commute daily over

705-556: The Potomac Heritage Trail ". The site was linked to hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated sewage being discharged into the Potomac River in 2008. In 2006, Peterson Companies withdrew plans to build a Target department store where the remaining plantation building, the slave quarters, still stand. The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor opened on April 1, 2008 in Oxon Hill, Maryland . The site

752-560: The Potomac Riverboat Company connects the National Harbor to Alexandria, Virginia . The City of Alexandria also runs shuttles from the water taxi terminal to King Street–Old Town station . The service costs the city about $ 800,000 per year. Early critics of National Harbor argued that the site is not accessible enough to the Washington Metro , the Washington area's rapid transit system. However, local civic groups dropped

799-600: The Woodrow Wilson Bridge or the Wilson Bridge , is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill, Maryland in Prince George's County, Maryland . The original bridge was one of only a handful of drawbridges in the Interstate Highway System . It contained the only portion of the Interstate System owned and operated by the federal government until construction

846-806: The Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering award, and the ACEC Grand Award. Starting in 2001 with a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-approved financial plan budget of $ 2.44 billion (equivalent to $ 4.02 billion in 2023 ), the project completed its financial close in early 2015 at $ 2.36 billion (equivalent to $ 3.87 billion in 2023 )—$ 86 million (equivalent to $ 141 million in 2023 ) below its original budget after more than 10 years of construction. The first new, six-lane Potomac River bridge opened for northbound Outer Loop traffic on June 10, 2006, with only minor delays (the lane striping of

893-564: The Maryland and Virginia sides. Construction began on the replacement facilities and approaches in 1999. Bridge construction began in October 2000 with the commencement of a dredging contract. On May 17, 2001, the Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) issued notice to proceed for the foundations contract. The preconstruction conference for the bridge superstructure contract was held on September 11, 2001. The events of

940-639: The U.S. In 1916, he said, "My interest in good roads is [...] to bind communities together and open their intercourse, so that it will flow with absolute freedom and facility". A bridge at Jones Point was first proposed by the District Highway Department in August 1952 as part of a study of Potomac River bridge crossing needs. The bridge linked to US Route 1 and the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway in Virginia. In Prince George's County, Maryland ,

987-581: The area that link it to nearby major roadways: Interstate 95/495 (the Capital Beltway), Interstate 295 (Anacostia Freeway), and Oxon Hill Road . Commuters traveling via Indian Head Highway may access National Harbor by utilizing the Oxon Hill Road exits. In 2007, the state funded over $ 500 million (~$ 708 million in 2023) in road improvements in order to handle the 10,000 cars expected to commute daily to National Harbor. A water taxi line run by

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1034-578: The beltway in both directions, were closed for the detonation, which happened 36 minutes behind schedule. The second bridge span was dedicated on May 15, 2008, and on May 30, 2008, Inner Loop traffic was shifted onto it. After the completion of the Wilson Bridge project, the state of Maryland and the commonwealth of Virginia became the joint owners of the completed bridge, and both states exercise joint responsibility and oversight of bridge activities, maintenance, and operations. The District of Columbia ,

1081-452: The bridge and approach did not initially match up). The first car to cross was a Toyota Corolla . On July 16, 2006, at midnight, traffic from the Inner Loop of the beltway was rerouted to the future Outer Loop express lanes for two years. The original 1961 bridge was demolished at 12:35 am, on August 29, 2006, to make room for completion of the six-lane Inner Loop bridge, located between

1128-704: The bridge would connect with Overlook Avenue and Chesapeake Street. It was also intended to link with the proposed extension of the George Washington Memorial Parkway /Anacostia–Kenilworth Parkway (later built as the southern leg of the Anacostia Freeway ) in Prince George's County (authorized by Congress in 1930 but never built) and the Inter-County Metropolitan Freeway (proposed in 1944 and later planned and constructed as

1175-401: The bridge, a situation not anticipated when it was constructed. After the highway on both sides of the bridge was widened to eight lanes, the six-lane bridge became a daily bottleneck as heavy traffic slowed in order to funnel into fewer lanes. Two incidents demonstrated this. On November 11, 1987, a snowstorm snarled traffic; many commuters ran out of gas and spent the night in their vehicles on

1222-455: The bridge. In November 1998, the bridge was closed for several hours during the afternoon rush hour when Ivin L. Pointer engaged police in a seven-hour standoff, creating 20-mile (32 km) traffic backups. (Pointer jumped off the bridge, but survived the fall.) Maryland, Virginia, and federal highway officials had been confronting the problems and exploring alternatives for many years. After considerable study and public debate, officials chose

1269-556: The census-designated place. In 2016, prior to the opening of the MGM Casino, an estimated 7,000 staff worked at National Harbor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , National Harbor has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.8 km), of which 1.4 square miles (3.7 km) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km), or 21.7% (consisting of the Potomac River ), is water; 300 acres are in the actual development itself. The only routes in or out of National Harbor are several ramps north of

1316-457: The day , including the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the nearby Pentagon , caused the evacuation of the bridge foundation construction crews and disrupted the preconstruction meeting. On December 16, 2001, MSHA received only one bid (which was more than 70 percent above the engineer's estimate), and the bid was ultimately rejected. In total, the work was executed by 26 prime contractors and 260 subcontractors. The majority of

1363-621: The fall of 1997, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Army Corps of Engineers approved new developer permits, granted for the PortAmerica project in 1988. This development has caused considerable controversy due to its environmental impacts . The Sierra Club voiced strong objections in 1999 saying that construction of National Harbor would "prevent forever the completion of

1410-543: The highway project was completed by 2009, and the upgraded Telegraph Road interchange was completed in early 2013. The Wilson Bridge project received numerous awards, including four American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) national awards for environmental excellence, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) award, the Gustav Lindenthal Award,

1457-549: The measure into law later that month. The bridge received its name through the efforts of Representative Burr Harrison , a Virginian who sought to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of Woodrow Wilson. Eisenhower signed this legislation into law on May 22, 1956, as part of a bill authorizing initial funding for the bridge. Construction of the bridge began in September 1958, and it opened to traffic on December 28, 1961. Edith Wilson , Wilson's widow, died that very morning; she

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1504-673: The old bridge, high enough to allow most boats and small ships to pass underneath without having to raise the bridge and reducing the projected number of annual traffic-hindering openings from about 260 to about 60. According to a draft executive summary released in December 2022 by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for their I-495 Southside Transit/TDM study, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge has "future accommodation for potential future rail transit". An extension of

1551-402: The original bridge and the new Outer Loop span. Local commuter Daniel Ruefly was given the honor of initiating the detonation after he won a contest where he was judged the driver to have suffered the most over the years from the bridge's congestion, with an estimated combined total of two and a half years spent in traffic caused by the bottleneck at the bridge. The airspace above the bridge, and

1598-641: The possibility of building a rail extension to National Harbor off the Green Line as part of its long-term plan. The NH2 bus line started running across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in 2016, connecting with the King Street–Old Town station. In September 2021, a report on the capacity improvements of Blue/Orange/Silver lines recommended converting the Blue Line into a circle line, extending it to National Harbor and Alexandria . NBC4 Washington further reported on

1645-753: The project in November 2011. In 2011, Bonnie Bick, a member of the Campaign to Reinvest in the Heart of Oxon Hill suggested preserving the remaining plantation building, and making it a part of a proposed historical loop of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, as a draw for the development. A location for the National Children's Museum opened in December 2012. The museum permanently closed in early January 2015, after announcing that it would relocate back to Washington, D.C. The museum's location

1692-507: The proposed loop in December 2022. At the time, there was a crowding problem at the Rosslyn station , and the proposed Blue Line loop could be the solution to solve this crowding problem. National Harbor is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district. Schools serving National Harbor include Fort Foote Elementary School, Oxon Hill Middle School, and Oxon Hill High School . John H. Bayne John Henry Bayne (1804–1870)

1739-561: The remaining two lanes to be used by Washington Metro or other mass transit, though there are no current plans to do so. The consultant team for the main bridge over the Potomac River included engineers of record Parsons Transportation Group ; bridge architect Miguel Rosales of Rosales + Partners; Consulting engineers were A. Morton Thomas & Associates, Inc.; Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers provided Geotechnical engineering; Subconsultants Finley McNary Engineers (piers); and Hardesty & Hanover , LLP (bascule span). Project management

1786-662: The state of Maryland pays the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority $ 312,000 annually to operate the NH1 bus line to National Harbor from the Southern Avenue Metro station. In June 2008, the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center asked the state to fund additional transit service because employees found it difficult to reach National Harbor. In 2011, Metro began considering

1833-457: The state's gambling program in the November 2012 elections. It was built on the south side of the Beltway , about a mile northeast of the National Harbor waterfront. On January 12, 2015, Peterson Companies announced Local Motors planned to open a location in National Harbor. On June 17, 2016, Local Motors opened their facility to the public and debuted a new vehicle named Olli. The facility includes

1880-556: Was a Maryland politician and doctor who served in the state House of Delegates and state senate . Despite being a slaveholder and defender of chattel slavery , Bayne served as a surgeon and brevet colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War . By 1864, he viewed it impossible to maintain slavery and the Union, and he encouraged Maryland to abolish slavery in its new constitution . Bayne

1927-613: Was also a noted horticulturist, writing extensively about the cultivation of strawberries and tomatoes, among other fruits. He reportedly had more than 15,000 fruit trees on his farm. In 1847, The Baltimore Sun referred to Bayne as "that prince of horticulturists." He assisted in the planning for the Maryland Agricultural College , the precursor to the University of Maryland, College Park. Woodrow Wilson Bridge The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge , also known as

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1974-473: Was completed and it was turned over to the Virginia and Maryland departments of transportation. The Wilson Bridge carries Interstate 95 (I-95) and I-495 Capital Beltway . The drawbridge on the original span opened about 260 times a year, frequently disrupting traffic on a bridge that carried about 250,000 cars each day. The new, higher span requires fewer openings. The bridge's west abutment

2021-437: Was developed by Milton Peterson's Peterson Companies with the project expected to cost well over $ 2 billion, and a construction time frame of 2007 to late 2014. As of April 2016 construction was continuing and the cost was set at $ 4 billion. In 2010, the development was designated as a census-designated place . The Walt Disney Company had announced that it would build a new resort hotel at National Harbor, but backed out of

2068-632: Was owner of the Salubria plantation near Oxon Hill , Prince George's County, Maryland . He was elected as a Whig to represent Prince George's in the House of Delegates' 1841 session. A year later, he became a justice of the peace. From December 1861 to 1864, he represented Prince George's in the state senate as a Unionist . Both as a delegate and as a private citizen, Bayne was a strong advocate for slaveholders and in particular advocated for government action to prevent enslaved people from escaping bondage. Bayne

2115-446: Was planned to bisect the Capital Beltway with a shorter through-route, extending north from Springfield, Virginia , across the Potomac River, through downtown Washington DC, and the northeastern section of DC, and into Maryland to reconnect with the beltway near College Park, Maryland . While the portions in Virginia and in DC south of New York Avenue were built, the remaining segment—designated

2162-465: Was provided by WSP USA , Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP, and URS Corporation . The northern span of the bridge also includes pedestrian and bike passage, separated from traffic by safety barriers. The path, which opened on June 6, 2009, is about 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long, with "bump-out" areas where users can stop to observe views of Washington and Old Town Alexandria . The new spans are 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than

2209-402: Was supposed to have been the guest of honor at the bridge's dedication ceremony. The 5,900-foot (1,800 m)5,900-foot (1,798 m) bridge included a bascule bridge to allow large, ocean-going vessels access to the port facilities of Washington DC. It had six traffic lanes and was designed to handle 75,000 vehicles a day. By 1999, the old Wilson Bridge was handling 200,000 vehicles

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