Long Bridge Park : Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources : Arlington, Virginia

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Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources

Long Bridge Park

Long Bridge Park Phase 3 image
Long Bridge Park runner image Long Bridge Park monument image Long Bridge Park from above Long Bridge Park water and ducks image Long Bridge Park Plane image

Current Happenings at Long Bridge Park

County Board Awards Contract for Long Bridge Park Phase I
On December 15, 2009, the Arlington County Board approved a $23.7 million contract to build three lighted synthetic grass athletic fields, an esplanade and other amenities at Long Bridge Park. The contract went to the Donohoe Companies Inc. Construction is expected to begin early in 2010 and finish in summer, 2011.

Long Bridge Park is a new park located at 475 Old Jefferson Davis Highway. Planning for the park began in 2001. Building a park at the site will transform what was once a light industrial area into a distinctive showplace of environmentally sound development, featuring attractive public green spaces, high-quality outdoor recreation facilities and environmentally responsible structures.

The Donohoe Companies, Inc. was the lowest of four bidders. Funding for the project will come from the 2004 park bond approved by voters.

In addition to the three athletic fields, the project will include landscaping, picnic areas and a raised observation area. A 2,350-foot raised esplanade with breathtaking views of the Potomac will connect all sections of the park and its recreational facilities. The esplanade will be suitable for strolling, bicycling, train spotting, plane watching and small festivals. A three-quarter acre rain garden will infiltrate runoff from the park’s parking lot and sports fields into a planted garden of native shrubs and perennials. Restrooms and a storage facility will complete the first phase of construction.

About 2,750 feet of Old Jefferson Davis Highway and 6th Street South will be reconstructed to complement the recreational facilities and amenities and provide gateway from the south into the Long Bridge Park area.

Read the full County Board report (item #32)

The County Board voted 5 to 0 to approve the contract for park construction and 5 to 0 to approve the public art element.

Long Bridge Park Views
Click on the red icons to see the view from ground level. Views will open in a new window.

Long Bridge Park In The News

Long Bridge Park Overview
Long Bridge Park, formerly known as the North Tract Project will be a new state of the art aquatics, health and fitness facility and park on the north end of Crystal City in Arlington. Its concept was approved in February 2004 by the Arlington County Board. Currently, plans and work are underway for a swimming and exercise venue set within a dynamic recreational complex that will feature four full-size athletic fields overlooking premier views of Washington D.C.
Read more about Concepts and Plan

Long Bridge Park is being built in response to Arlington residents’ desire for more opportunities to recreate. In a June 2002 Parks and Recreation Resident Survey, trails and indoor swimming pools were the number 1 and 2 items respectively out of 54 possible choices that Arlingtonians felt were needed most in the County. In fact, 46 percent of the respondents felt it was very important to develop and maintain a new indoor fitness/aquatic center. And the demand continues.
Read more about the Long Bridge Park Background

Make a Splash!
The centerpiece of the park is a state-of-the-art community aquatics center serving a broad spectrum of abilities and interests, a comprehensive family destination where everyone can participate!

Fifty meter pool for lap swimming, classes, and competitions to keep Arlingtonians fit and to bring top swimmers to the area.
Ten meter diving platform will really make a splash!
Leisure and therapy pool for fun, play, teaching, therapy and exercise.
Exercise rooms with free weights, cardiovascular equipment and classes.
Short-term child care drop off area so parents can work out while their children are activity engaged.

Green Fields for Play
The community’s diverse interests and commitment to sports and well-being will be extended with fabulous new athletic fields. Four rectangular, lighted, multiuse fields with synthetic turf will allow for intensive organized sports in all seasons, in all weather and throughout the day. Spaced along the edge of the fields will be a series of small buildings to provide park concessions, restrooms, and storage.
Read more about the Features of Long Bridge Park

Art in the Parks
In conjunction with the project, artist Doug Hollis will be developing a public art project especially designed to enhance the vision of the park. The piece will be a unique, continuous site identifier and continue Arlington’s tradition of art in public spaces.

Respect the Environment
All facilities on the site will be designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program Silver rating. Outdoor facilities such as parking areas, picnic areas, plazas and roads will be designed to make this park a model of environmentally responsible design.
Read more about Visions & Goals for Long Bridge Park

Reclamation of the Land
Trees and plantings will utilize native species and interpretive displays will explain the park’s transformation from an industrial brownfield to a premier urban park. Visitors will find a number of significant plant communities that were recently discovered in the County.
Read more about the Long Bridge Park site history

Serve All Abilities and Incomes
Maximum consideration will be given to ensure that the recreational facilities meet, and where possible, exceed current standards for handicapped accessibility. Moreover, outside facilities and walkways will be built to ensure maximum accessibility. Likewise, the park’s fee and usage structure will make certain the park is accessible to all Arlington residents, regardless of income.
Read more about Community Involvement

Paying Homage to our Heritage
The park’s location is rich with history, including early Native Americans who settled the land, the Long Bridge The Long Bridge in 1861 across the Potomac River, now site of the Long Bridge Park (known today as the 14th Street Bridge), which British troops used to cross during the War of 1812, and the settlement of Federal troops during the Civil War in 1861. The area also housed a brickyard in the 1830s that helped rebuild many of the historic homes and buildings in Alexandria after the war. By the 1900s the land was used as a major staging area, mainly because of the brick factory and the Washington Southern Railroad. Construction of the Pentagon began in 1939 just down the road. Soon after, the Twin Bridges Marriott was built, along with a Hot Shoppes restaurant. Yet by the 1980’s, the area was mainly industrial and in 1993, as part of an environmental clean-up plan, Arlington County acquired the land for recreational and open space use.
Read more about the Heritage behind Long Bridge Park