Driving into DC from Northern Virginia usually feels like a chore. You’re stuck in a sea of brake lights on I-395, probably worrying about a meeting or wondering why the traffic is so bad on a Tuesday. But if you’re crossing the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge, you’re literally driving over the site of one of the most heartbreaking and heroic moments in American history.
Most people just call it the "14th Street Bridge." Honestly, that’s a shame.
The bridge carries northbound traffic into the District, and on a normal day, it's just a functional piece of infrastructure. Concrete. Steel. Noise. But this span of road is a monument to a guy who did something most of us hope we’d do, but probably wouldn't.
The Day the Potomac Froze
January 13, 1982, was a nightmare. A massive snowstorm had basically paralyzed Washington, DC. Air Florida Flight 90 was sitting on the tarmac at National Airport, waiting to head to Fort Lauderdale. It was cold. Brutally cold.
The pilots made some critical errors. They didn't use the engine anti-ice system. They tried to use the heat from another plane’s exhaust to melt the slush on their wings. It didn't work. When they finally took off, the Boeing 737 couldn't get enough lift.
The plane barely cleared the airport boundary. It rose to just 350 feet before stalling. Then, it slammed right into the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge (which was called the Rochambeau Bridge at the time).
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It wasn't just a plane crash in the water. The aircraft actually hit seven occupied cars on the bridge and tore away nearly 100 feet of guardrail. Four people on the bridge died instantly. Then the plane plunged into the icy Potomac River, which was filled with jagged chunks of ice.
Only six people made it out of the sinking fuselage to the tail section.
Who was the "Man in the Water"?
For a while, the world didn't know his name. TV cameras were broadcasting the rescue live. Millions of people watched a Park Police helicopter, "Eagle 1," hover over the water to drop a lifeline to the survivors.
Among those survivors was a 46-year-old bank examiner named Arland D. Williams Jr.
Every time the helicopter crew dropped the rope to him, he didn't grab it for himself. He passed it to someone else. He did this once. Twice. Three times. He literally handed away his own chance at life to make sure the people around him got out first.
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By the time the helicopter came back for the sixth time to get him, he was gone. He had slipped under the water. He was the only person who survived the actual impact but died by drowning.
Why we still talk about this bridge
In 1985, they renamed the span the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge. It’s a heavy legacy for a bridge that sees over 88,000 vehicles a day.
Currently, the bridge is undergoing some massive changes. If you’ve driven it lately, you’ve probably seen the construction. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is in the middle of a $90 million project to replace the old bascule span.
Wait—what's a bascule span?
Basically, it's the part that used to open up like a drawbridge to let boats through. It hasn't actually opened since the early 60s, and honestly, it’s just falling apart. They’re replacing it with a fixed span that looks the same but won't require constant, expensive repairs.
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Driving the legacy today
It’s weird to think about how much has changed since 1982. Modern de-icing tech is way better. Pilot training is stricter. We don't see crashes like Flight 90 anymore because of the lessons learned on that specific patch of the Potomac.
But the bridge itself is more than just a case study for the NTSB. It’s a reminder.
When you’re stuck in that I-395 northbound crawl, look out at the water. It’s usually gray and choppy. Imagine it filled with ice. Imagine the courage it takes to be the "man in the water."
If you want to honor the history of the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge, here is what you can actually do:
- Visit the Memorial: There isn't a giant statue on the bridge itself (it’s a highway, after all), but you can visit the grave of Arland Williams in Mattoon, Illinois, or see the commemorative plaques at The Citadel in South Carolina, where he graduated.
- Watch the footage: If you’ve never seen the 1982 rescue, search for the "Eagle 1 Potomac rescue." It’s a sobering reminder of how fast things can go wrong and how people like Lenny Skutnik (a bystander who jumped in to help) and Arland Williams stepped up.
- Check the traffic: If you're a local, keep an eye on the DDOT project updates. The reconstruction is slated to run through 2027-2028, and it will eventually reopen the bridge shoulders, making the drive a lot safer for everyone.
Infrastructure isn't just about moving cars from point A to point B. Sometimes, it’s about a guy who stayed in the water so others didn't have to.