Stretching Our Wings at Ridge Road Bridge

We designed the upcoming Ridge Road Bridge, currently in construction, as a companion bridge to West Glebe Bridge, as detailed in this post.

Just a mile apart, these bridges cross Four Mile Run, connecting Arlington to Alexandria, VA, promoting social engagement and access to recreational open-space and habitat. 

The renovation of the old bridge includes a new bridge deck and concrete parapet barriers with cut-metal grill railings. The new concrete barriers and metal railings became the canvas for our artistic enhancements.

Four Mile Run provides habitat for a wide variety of birds and water fowl. We decided to celebrate the red-tailed hawk.

The red-tailed hawk is a majestic bird that symbolizes power, strength and resilience. The intricate patterns and elegant shapes of the Red-Tailed Hawk’s wings inspired our patterning for concrete bridge parapet barriers and the steel grills resting on them.

We have interpreted the red-tailed hawk wing in 2″ deep relief, with panels spanning to nearly 9′ in length and 3′-6″ in height. The dimensional form will be created by using a CNC router, which allows for sculpting three-dimensional surfaces with accuracy and precision, while adding a creative touch during the milling process for adding surface textures and directionality. Abstracting and refining these pattern forms allowed us to reference local wildlife and create a design that relates to its context.

The handrails include lighting to enhance the pedestrian experience of crossing the bridge at night. Including these aesthetic amenities into the rehabilitation of this aging bridge gives it new life, function and beauty to serve the community for decades to come.

Sponsor: Arlington County

Project Team:

Artists: Vicki Scuri SiteWorks with Alexandr Polzin

Engineers: Volkert