VDOT News - Northern Virginia

LOVETTSVILLE – The Virginia Department of Transportation, Loudoun County and the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition celebrated a joint effort today to rehabilitate and reopen the historic truss John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge that carries Featherbed Lane over Catoctin Creek.

The bridge was originally built in 1889 on the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike (current Route 7) over Goose Creek to replace a bridge destroyed by flooding. In 1932, the bridge was dismantled and moved to its current location.

In January 2014, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved naming the bridge after John G. Lewis, an historian responsible for documenting many of Loudoun County’s historic structures.

After several years of extensive public outreach and stakeholder coordination as part of the environmental review process, the bridge was closed in January 2021 for the project to improve safety and extend the overall life of the bridge. The truss was installed above a new steel beam and timber deck bridge, a new pier was added and the railings were upgraded. The bridge reopened to traffic this past December and the overall project was completed last month.

"VDOT is proud to bring forward the technical resources to rehabilitate this 19th century truss bridge" said Bill Cuttler, P.E., VDOT's Northern Virginia Deputy District Engineer. Our team worked carefully with the Loudoun County community to provide a final product that enhances the beautiful setting and recognizes the historic importance of the structure."

“In coordination with VDOT, Loudoun County is pleased to celebrate the opening of the historic John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge in Lovettsville,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall. “This bridge is a piece of Loudoun County’s history and its rehabilitation will improve safety for those traveling on Featherbed Lane.”

The $5.1 million bridge rehabilitation project was financed with federal and state funding, including State of Good Repair funds used for bridges. The construction contractor was Kokosing Construction Company, Inc.

See more project details from VDOT.

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