PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 599

(b) The definitions in § 1-101 of this article do not apply to the Compact set forth
in this subtitle.

10-302.

On behalf of this State, the Governor shall execute, with the Commonwealth of
Virginia AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, an interstate compact substantially as it
appears in § 10-303 of this subtitle.

10-303.

Preamble

WHEREAS, Traffic congestion imposes serious economic burdens in the
METROPOLITAN Washington, D.C. [metropolitan] area, costing commuters an
estimated $1,000 each per year; and

[WHEREAS, The average length of commute in the Washington metropolitan area
is second only to metropolitan New York, demonstrating the severity of traffic congestion;
and

WHEREAS, The Woodrow Wilson Bridge was designed to carry 70,000 vehicles a
day, but carries an actual load of 160,000 per day; and

WHEREAS, The volume of traffic in the Washington metropolitan area is expected
to increase by more than 70% between 1990 and 2020; and

WHEREAS, The deterioration of Woodrow Wilson Bridge and the growing
population in the Washington metropolitan area accounts for a large part of traffic
congestion, and identifying alternatives to this vital link in the interstate highway system
and the Northeast corridor is critical to addressing the area's traffic congestion; and

WHEREAS, The Woodrow Wilson Bridge is the only drawbridge on the regional
interstate network, the only piece of the Capital Beltway with only six lanes and the only
segment with a remaining lifespan of only ten years; and

WHEREAS, The existing Woodrow Wilson Bridge is the only part of the interstate
system owned by the federal government, and the federal government has a responsibility
to fund improvements to the facility; and

WHEREAS, While the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia maintain and
operate the bridge, no entity has ever been granted full and clear responsibility for all
aspects of this facility; and

WHEREAS, Contingent upon the federal government's contribution of funds to
upgrade the facility, it would be in the interest of the region, the states, and the federal
government to transfer ownership of the facility to an independent authority; and

WHEREAS, Any change in the status of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge must take
into account the interest of nearby communities, the commuting public, and other
interested groups, as well as the interest of the federal government and state and local
governments involved; and

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