A new bridge on the Washington & Old Dominion trail opens Friday and is designed to make travel safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.

The new W&OD Bridge over Route 29, next to Interstate 66, opens Friday afternoon, the Virginia Department of Transportation said in a statement. It crosses over Route 29 at the intersection with Fairfax Drive and will keep cyclists and pedestrians separate from cars at the intersection.

VDOT said in the statement that that section of the trail, between Arlington and Falls Church, carries about 1,500 bicyclists and pedestrians every weekday, making the trail “a significant commuter route,” and about 2,000 per weekend day.

“The W&OD is the center spine of the trail network in Northern Virginia and has reached a new level of use during the pandemic,” Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks, said in the statement. “We are thrilled to offer trail users this new bridge over one of the busiest intersections along the trail.”

There will be more work on and around the bridge through the end of the summer.