The initial maps of Virginia and Maryland that were designed by regional planners included several bridges across the Potomac River. Virginia, however, removed these bridges from their master plans in the 1960's with Maryland following their example shortly afterwards. Since then, local governments have preserved many acres of open space, watersheds and historic sites in the area where a bridge had once been proposed and tens of thousands of people have invested in homes in communities on both sides of the river.

In the 1990's, powerful organizations fueled by dollars from the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance proposed construction of the "techway" bridge. Despite the threat this bridge would pose to the environment and to existing communities, proponents supported the bridge as a means of accessing I-95 from the Dulles Corridor for freight traffic and commuters.

Proposals and studies for a new Potomac River bridge include the 1997 Board of Trade Transportation Study, 1999 VDOT 2020 Plan, 2001 Montgomery County Transportation Policy Report (TPR), 2001 Federal Highway (Wolf) Study and the 2002 Smart Mobility, Inc. (Anita Kramer & Associates) Study.

Much of the data from these studies illustrate that construction of a "techway" bridge would not significantly reduce traffic and could be devastating to the ecological and social communities in the area. As a result of these reasons, Congressman Frank Wolf stopped the Federal Highway Study in 2001 saying:

“...the number of potential crossing alignments was more numerous than anyone had imagined. The number of neighborhoods that would have been impacted and federal and local parkland and wetlands that would have been affected was extensive. It appeared that with any potential route, many homes would have had to be torn down and many more homeowners would have had part of their property taken, perhaps a side or back yard. The character of entire neighborhoods would have changed.” Cong. Frank Wolf, June 4, 2001.

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