Tricky merge at 14th St. Bridge

A new traffic pattern is taking shape Sunday on the northbound span of the 14th Street Bridge. This affects drivers northbound on I-395 and those coming up from the southbound George Washington Parkway onto the northbound bridge span.

Two middle lanes on the bridge are blocked. Two lanes get by to the left, but this creates a tricky merge for traffic coming up from the parkway. The drivers have to merge all the way over I-395 into those open lanes. Orange cones and barrels guide them on their way. But the merge is probably as much a surprise to them as it is to the drivers on I-395.

There is no congestion, but that means that the parkway drivers have to merge into traffic that's moving at a pretty good clip. Everyone should use caution.

By the time commuters hit the road on Monday morning, only one lane should be blocked. That will be the third from the right. Drivers heading for 14th Street downtown will want to be in the two left lanes.