Long Bridge Park, which spans more than 36 acres of open space and recreation, is a standout example of environmentally friendly redevelopment. Its central area is made up of lovely public green spaces and top-notch sports and recreation facilities, including the brand-new Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Centre, which is open to all park visitors. Long Bridge Park is advantageously situated close to the Potomac River and other urban areas.
The strategy includes research on multi-modal transportation, a plan for recreational facilities, suggestions for prospective public-private development partnerships, and a land use strategy for the neighbourhood.
The property is encircled by I-395, the CSX/VRE rails, Roaches Run, and the Potomac River and is located north of Crystal City and Washington Reagan National Airport. This intricate collection presented a number of challenges, including FAA limitations and aviation easements, environmental hotspots, historic artefacts, a high water table, and regional concerns about population and traffic.
In charge of overseeing the construction of three artificial infill turf fields and the Esplanade, an elevated walkway west of the Esplanade with views of Roaches Run and the Potomac River, LSG was hired as Long Bridge Park’s official landscape architect.
A planted garden of native shrubs and perennials is supported by a three-quarter-acre rain garden that collects runoff from Long Bridge Park’s 200 parking spaces and sports grounds. A transition from the park to a brand-new office block to the south is provided by a string of little garden rooms. The Old Jefferson Davis Highway has been renovated as a “complete street” with bicycle lanes, new bus shelters, and pedestrian facilities.
Three full-size, lit, synthetic, rectangular multi-sport fields, a network of walkways, an overlook with views of the national monuments, and a three-quarter acre rain garden are all features of Long Bridge Park, which is north of Crystal City and close to I-395.
The rain garden directs runoff from Long Bridge Park’s sports fields and parking lot into a planted garden of native shrubs and perennials. Marymount University partially sponsored Boeing Field #1, which serves as the home field for the school’s men’s and women’s football and lacrosse teams. The permit is given precedence.
The approximately three-quarter-mile-long Esplanade is a fantastic location for train, aircraft, and bird watching and overlooks the playing fields, the Potomac River, and Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary. There are outdoor exercise stations right next to the route on the walking circle at the northern end of the Esplanade.
A pre-school playground for kids ages 2 to 5 and a school-age playground for kids ages 5 to 12 are located at the southernmost part of Long Bridge Park. The interactive fog section on this playground makes it stand out from other playgrounds in Arlington.
Three pieces of public art by internationally renowned artist Doug Hollis may be seen in Long Bridge Park. Two structures that are made of anodized aluminium, stainless steel, painted steel, and solar-powered LED lights make up the Wave Arbour. Each structure holds 22 moving wings-like components.
By allowing light to travel through them and moving in reaction to the wind, the “wings” cast shadows below. Each “wing” has lights at the tips that track the wind’s movement at night. The stainless-steel column-shaped Sky Column is made out of tapering masts that protrude 50 feet into the air and provide the impression of blending into the sky.
Uplights at the base of the piece are programmed to brighten and fade at different times throughout the night in response to changes in the wind. The Virginia Recreation and Long Bridge Park Society presented Long Bridge Park with the Best New Facility Award in 2012.
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., parking is metered. All parking sites and garages in the Crystal City region are included on the parking map.
long bridge park Introduction
Award-winning Long Bridge Park is a brand-new park in Arlington County that is located near the historic Potomac River crossing between Virginia and the District of Columbia. It is converting its 30-acre property, which was originally an industrial brownfield, into a prime example of ecologically responsible recreational reuse. A brief history of Long Bridge Park’s development to date, a review of the project’s vision and aims, and an overview of the 2004 approved Master Plan and the 2013 amended Master Plan are all included in this paper.
The Long Bridge Park project will take time to complete. Early in the 1990s, the location was originally recognised as a potential park. Planning for Long Bridge Park and land assembly started in 2001. In November 2011, the park’s first phase was inaugurated.
Featuring three sizable rectangular fields, parks, greenery, public art, and walking and bicycling trails that provide sweeping vistas of the monuments of Washington. The second phase, which will include Arlington’s first all-inclusive aquatics, health and fitness centre, is expected to begin construction in the autumn of 2013. There are yet more anticipated inside and outdoor components to come.
The North Tract Small Area Plan and the park’s Master Plan serve as the conceptual foundation for the development of the Long Bridge Park. The park site has grown and been moved northward since those plans were approved in 2004 thanks to the trade of County land between 6th and 10th Streets South for the former Twin Bridges Marriott site.
As a result, the Master Plan has been modified to reflect the improved site design and new amenities made available by that long-desired acquisition. Due to the completion of Phase 1 of Long Bridge Park and the final design of Phase 2 (the first portion of the Aquatics, Health & Fitness Facility), the updated Master Plan has been supplemented with design guidelines that summarise and illustrate the terminology and concepts used so far in building and landscape design.
These standards need to guide future construction and support the park’s recognised aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly, high-quality design. For the convenience of future Long Bridge Park planners, managers, sponsors, and users, a brief history of the location and planning procedures is also provided.
Where Is long bridge park Past
In the busiest route connecting Virginia and the District of Columbia, Long Bridge Park is situated where the original Long Bridge crossed the Potomac River in 1809. The elevated I-395/US 1 highway lanes and the primary north-south rail corridor are located on each side of the 30-acre property, which is 3,632 feet (or 0.7 mile) long. Crystal City is to the south, the Pentagon Reservation is to the west, Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary is to the east, and Reagan Washington National Airport is to the north.
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Potomac River, and the majestic views of the nation’s capital are to the south and east, respectively. Few remnants of the marshy beach that John Smith sailed over in 1608 may be seen along this riverside.
It has undergone repeated dredging, filling, and reshaping operations due to decades of transportation advancements, business and industrial activity, and significant federal projects, most notably the construction of the Pentagon and the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The Twin Bridges Marriott (demolished in 1990), storage facilities, warehouses and environmentally harmful businesses like a service station, a concrete batch plant, parking lots, a trucking company and the Davis Industries scrap yard were all located in what was known as the North Tract by the late 20th century.
Nevertheless, the National Capital Planning Commission deemed the Twin Bridges property “an important and highly visible site” for a future monument or another public meeting place in 2001, citing its strategic position.
A multi-party agreement to clean up the Davis site led to the start of the area’s reclamation in the early 1990s. Additionally, Arlington County and the R.F.&P. Railroad, which at the time owned the majority of the industrial area, came to an agreement to give Potomac Yard additional growth potential in exchange for the County acquiring the railroad’s North Tract properties for ecologically friendly recreational use.
long bridge park preparing
The Open Spaces Master Plan from 1994 recognised the North Tract’s potential as a significant recreational asset. The North Tract Task Force was established by the County Board in May 2001 and is made up of members of important advisory commissions and local citizens. Its duties include working with staff and consultants to assess the property and its limitations, identify key opportunities and needs for recreation, and create a park master plan as well as redevelopment and transportation plans for the entire North Tract area.
It took 2.5 years to gather the data, analyse it, and plan it. More than fifty public meetings, three sizable public forums, questionnaires, and two work sessions with the County Board were used to gather extensive community input.
Important points included: Long Bridge Park
With regard to the site’s conditions, thorough testing revealed a number of places where the historical fill and industrial operations had left behind soil pollutants, mostly lead. Through the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Voluntary Remediation Programme, a complete cleanup plan was created and submitted for evaluation. In order to make the surface of the Davis tract, which was more seriously contaminated, safe for enjoyment, separate remediation and partial capping were being done.
- The design of Long Bridge Park would be impacted by nearby transportation facilities. The height of buildings, light poles, and trees close to 6th Street South would be constrained by airport runway-related regulations. Appendix 4, please.
- Additionally, barriers or berms beside the railway lines are required for public safety, as well as to reduce dirt and noise from train operations. Community surveys and needs analyses about recreation priorities revealed a significant unmet demand for aquatics facilities, big rectangular playing fields, and alternatives for passive leisure including walking and bicycling paths. The park ought to respond to these demands in a thoughtful manner.
- Because the new park would represent a significant community investment in a prominent location, it should be a model of accessibility, high-quality facilities, and environmentally sensitive design. • The County should seek public-private partnerships to complement county investments in park. The North Tract Area Plan Study, which lays out a vision, goals, and policies for the 46-acre North Tract as a whole, were both proposed by the Task Force as part of a Master Plan for Park and Recreational Facilities.
Getting long bridge parkIt borders the park on the east and Parking
The plan’s transportation elements incorporated suggestions from the 2004 multi-modal transportation study. In keeping with the County’s overarching aim of minimising vehicle trips and promoting transit usage, biking, and walking, the ultimate objective was to establish a balanced approach to transportation demands.
The Old Jefferson Davis Highway would be reconfigured, as near to I-395 as practicable, and reconstructed as a complete highway with two driving lanes, bicycle lanes, on-street parking and sidewalks between 10th Highway South and the Boundary Channel crossing, among other highlights. It could be possible to add turn lanes, islands, and landscaping to improve operations and calm traffic.
- It would not be required and should not be sought to extend Crystal Drive north of 12th Street South as was suggested in the Master Transportation Plan in 2004. However, a pedestrian, bicycle, and emergency entry from Crystal Drive and 12th Street would be acceptable and beneficial.
- Multiple stops throughout the park’s perimeter, top-notch shelters, and other facilities would be added to the transit route that runs to the park. The construction of the recreation components would be phased in, and on-site surface lots and structured parking would be used to meet the daily parking need.
- A total of 800 to 1000 spots were anticipated in the proposal, of which 300 to 400 would be in the garage of the Aquatics, Health & Fitness Facility, 400 to 500 in above-ground structured parking west of the fields at 6th Street South, and 100 on a surface lot to the north of the fields.
- The network of multi-use trails in the region would be enhanced by planned bicycle path links with Crystal City and the Mount Vernon path, which should be constructed as soon as feasible, especially for big events.
- Regular transportation and parking resources would be augmented for large events like swim meets, sporting competitions, and the Fourth of July by measures like shuttle service to the Metro and to private parking garages and lots in Crystal City and Pentagon City.
The 2004 Master Plan’s transportation objectives to create a balanced strategy in line with the County’s policy of minimising vehicle trips and promoting transit usage, biking, and walking remain in place. To serve as the foundation for the creation of comprehensive transportation and parking management plans for the aquatics, health and fitness facility, the Multi-Modal Study has been revised and its suggestions have been improved.
Multiple tactics and design components will improve multi-modal access.
The initial round of initiatives aimed to upgrade main access roads to and from the park. As of early 2013, most of this work is already under progress:
Most of 6th Street South has been improved with new curbs, sidewalks and metered parking; Long Bridge Drive is being rebuilt as an attractive ‘complete street’ with two travel lanes, bike lanes, on-street parking, sidewalks and street trees; The Esplanade offers convenient connections to Crystal City for pedestrians and cyclists; The County is working with other agencies on studies of potential road and trail improvements at the end of Boundary Channel Drive; and • Securing regular bus service along Long Bridge Drive, including weekend and evening service, to connect the facility and fields with Crystal City, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, and other higher-density districts of Arlington. This second set of efforts focuses on transit service.
- Offering top-notch shelters at several sites that serve the facilities and fields.
- Giving preference wherever feasible to transit users, walkers, and bicycles, and enhancing access to the facilities for both groups.
- Working with event organisers to offer shuttle services to the Metro and to off-site parking for special events and significant competitions.
- Design elements and on-site facilities for Long Bridge Park visitors who do not drive themselves there make up the third category.
- These include adequate, strategically placed bicycle parking, decent bus shelters, safe drop-off and pickup places, and Capital Bikeshare stations at the facility and the fields.
- The general parking regulations from the 2004 Master Plan have also been carried over. These consist of:
- Daily parking requirements should be met by on-site parking supply, not those for special occasions.
- Due to the minimal demand for street parking created by nearby houses, on-street parking on Long Bridge Drive and 6th Street South may and should be administered as regular parking resources for Long Bridge Park.
- The County should set prices for and regulate on-site and street parking to deter commuter parking and accommodate park visitors.
- Securing regular bus service along Long Bridge Drive, including weekend and evening service, to connect the facility and fields with Crystal City, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, and other higher-density districts of Arlington. This second set of efforts focuses on transit service.
- Offering top-notch shelters at several sites that serve the facilities and fields.
- Giving preference wherever feasible to transit users, walkers, and bicycles, and enhancing access to the facilities for both groups.
- Working with event organisers to offer shuttle services to the Metro and to off-site parking for special events and significant competitions.
- Design elements and on-site facilities for park visitors who do not drive themselves there make up the third category.
