Delays in construction of the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the Washington, D.C., area could lead to weight restrictions on the old bridge.

The Washington Post reports that the end of 2004 was the original target date for opening the first span of the new bridge, but that has been pushed back to the end of 2005 or even early 2006. This raises questions as to whether the 40-year-old bridge can handle increasing traffic that far into the future. The bridge was designed to handle 75,000 vehicles a day, but now carries about 200,000 and is a critical link for East Coast traffic on Interstate 95.
A Maryland State Highway Administration spokeperson told the Post that a delay in opening the new bridge could mean restrictions on heavy trucks, depending on how quickly the old bridge decays.