Cabin John Bridge
| American Legion Memorial Bridge | |
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_connecting_Montgomery_County,_Maryland_and_Fairfax_County,_Virginia_from_the_south_bank_of_the_Potomac_River.jpg)
View of the west side of the bridge from the south bank
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| Coordinates | 38°58′13″N 77°10′47″W / 38.97017°N 77.17962°WCoordinates: 38°58′13″N 77°10′47″W / 38.97017°N 77.17962°W |
| Carries | 10 lanes of  I‑495, 8 thru lanes and 2 exit lanes |
| Crosses | Potomac River |
| Locale | Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia |
| Official name | American Legion Memorial Bridge |
| Other name(s) | Legion Bridge |
| Maintained by | Maryland State Highway Administration |
| History | |
| Opened | December 31, 1962 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 232,000 (2010) |
The American Legion Memorial Bridge, also known as the American Legion Bridge and formerly as the Cabin John Bridge, is a bridge carrying Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) across the Potomac River between Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virginia in the United States. It is an American Water Landmark.
The bridge has five traffic lanes in each direction. The outermost lane in each direction is an entrance/exit-only lane for traffic to/from the Clara Barton Parkway in Maryland and the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Georgetown Pike (State Route 193) in Virginia. There are no facilities for pedestrians or cyclists, which are prohibited.
Opened on December 31, 1962, the bridge was originally named the "Cabin John Bridge" because of its proximity to the community of Cabin John on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The bridge opened without a ceremony due to the cold weather. On May 30, 1969, the bridge was officially renamed the "American Legion Memorial Bridge" in a ceremony led by Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, director of the U.S. Selective Service System. This action reduced confusion with the Union Arch Bridge, which carries the Washington Aqueduct and MacArthur Boulevard across Cabin John Creek and which some people also called "the Cabin John Bridge". The bridge was widened from its original 6-lane configuration to the current 10-lane version by 1992 via a third span filling the median between what was originally two separate spans.
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