It’s gotten a bit easier to ride a bike from Annandale to Wakefield Park

A ribbon-cutting ceremony last week marked the completion of improvements to the bike and pedestrian bridge over the beltway, connecting Wakefield Park/Audrey Moore RECenter and Americana Drive in Annandale.

A portion of the bridge was raised four feet to meet the latest federal highway standards, extended to accommodate the additional HOT lanes under construction, and upgraded to include a new access ramp that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“It’s critical that community infrastructure be accessible to everybody. This structure will be a great example of how our parks, our ramp, our trails, our sidewalks are going to be there for everyone whether you have a disability or a difficulty, it’s there for everyone,” said Fairfax County Supervisor John Cook of the Braddock District.

“Keep up the good progress that you are making to get this done in a timely way and to move the traffic,” Virginia Del. Vivian Watts told representatives from Fluor-Transurban, the firms building the HOT lanes, at the ceremony. “Despite all of the lane changes and drivers’ demands,” Watts said, “I really commend you for all of the signage and efforts going forward to keep the safety record going.”

The $1.4 billion Capital Beltway HOT Lanes project “is on schedule for completion by late 2012,” says Virginia Department of Transportation spokesperson Steven Titunik.