Freedmen’s Bridge, which carries Washington Boulevard over Columbia Pike near the Pentagon in Arlington, was just rebuilt. So was its underpass. The sidewalks are wider now, but a few obstacles make using them difficult.

All photos by the author.

The new bridge is wider, longer and more attractive than the old one. It has a light well between its east and westbound lanes, and for westbound traffic there is a longer acceleration/deceleration lane between its ramps, which makes it easier to merge onto Washington Boulevard. The project also includes a new 10-foot shared use path along Columbia Pike where it passes under the bridge.

Also, to make room for a streetcar in the future, clearance under the bridge is now 16’8”.

Base image from Google Maps.

Today, VDOT will host a ceremony with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to dedicate the project.

While the new, wide sidewalks on part of Columbia Pike are nice, flaws in both the project design and the road just beyond it make them hard to use for anyone walking on the street.

New, wider sidewalks along Columbia Pike.

One problem is that just beyond the area where work was done, there are still lightpoles in the middle of very narrow sidewalks. These force anyone in a wheelchair off the sidewalk and they create hazards for cyclists. Though these sidewalks will likely be improved and widened in the future, they’re a barrier for the time being.

A telephone pole blocks the sidewalk just past the project area.

A more troubling issue is the pedestrian lights along Columbia Pike. The lights to cross one of the Washington Boulevard ramps only turn green when someone activates them. That means that to cross, you have to first get to the intersection, then push a button, and then wait for the green light. And this will have to be done three times in each direction. This makes navigating the area very time-consuming. It’s also confusing to see a green light in the road but a red light for the sidewalk.

Also, people on foot or bike on the south side of Columbia Pike have to first cross Queen Street diagonally and then back across the Washington Boulevard ramp; in other words, continuing straight is a two-intersection maneuver that could require waiting two light cycles to get to a destination that’s 25 feet away.

Few cyclists are going to choose such an inconvenient route along the sidewalk, rendering the path useless for them.

If you’re using the sidewalk go east on Columbia Pike near the bridge, you’ve got to do some extra crossing to stay straight.

A Columbia Pike crossing at the new Freedman’s bridge.

The bridge’s eastbound underpass.

The new underpass is better than the old one, but it’s unfortunate that space could not be found for a real bike facility and that it was designed with light cycles that inconvenience pedestrians so much.

A version of this post originally ran on TheWashCycle.