1 00:00:01,340 --> 00:00:03,451 today we marked the official start of 2 00:00:03,451 --> 00:00:05,729 the construction phase of this project . 3 00:00:05,729 --> 00:00:07,784 However , this project is really two 4 00:00:07,784 --> 00:00:10,220 projects in one . The first is the 5 00:00:10,220 --> 00:00:12,387 defense access roads project under the 6 00:00:12,387 --> 00:00:14,609 direction and leadership of the eastern 7 00:00:14,609 --> 00:00:16,664 federal Lands highway division . The 8 00:00:16,664 --> 00:00:18,498 second is the southern expansion 9 00:00:18,498 --> 00:00:20,276 project under the protection of 10 00:00:20,276 --> 00:00:19,810 leadership of Arlington National 11 00:00:19,810 --> 00:00:22,032 Cemetery with the U . S . Army Corps of 12 00:00:22,032 --> 00:00:24,254 Engineers being design and construction 13 00:00:24,254 --> 00:00:27,400 agent , the Defense access roads or dar 14 00:00:27,410 --> 00:00:29,720 project and southern expansion projects 15 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:31,831 were conceived and developed with one 16 00:00:31,831 --> 00:00:34,220 goal in mind To extend the service life 17 00:00:34,220 --> 00:00:36,164 of Arlington National Cemetery and 18 00:00:36,164 --> 00:00:38,109 allow it to continue to honour our 19 00:00:38,109 --> 00:00:40,164 nation's veterans and families as it 20 00:00:40,164 --> 00:00:43,120 has for over 150 years . These projects 21 00:00:43,130 --> 00:00:44,963 are a testament to the hard work 22 00:00:44,963 --> 00:00:47,074 collaboration and cooperation of many 23 00:00:47,074 --> 00:00:49,297 people agencies stretching back over 20 24 00:00:49,297 --> 00:00:51,463 years which has culminated in bringing 25 00:00:51,463 --> 00:00:53,574 us together . Today I would just like 26 00:00:53,574 --> 00:00:55,797 to briefly recount some of the specific 27 00:00:55,797 --> 00:00:58,019 attributes of these projects so that we 28 00:00:58,019 --> 00:01:00,130 can understand the scope and scale of 29 00:01:00,130 --> 00:01:02,297 what we are beginning today . The dark 30 00:01:02,297 --> 00:01:04,463 project will realign Columbia pike and 31 00:01:04,463 --> 00:01:06,730 shortened South Joyce Street providing 32 00:01:06,730 --> 00:01:08,786 new utility corridors under Columbia 33 00:01:08,786 --> 00:01:11,170 pike , Redesign the Columbia Pike in 34 00:01:11,170 --> 00:01:13,980 Virginia 27 interchange , remove 35 00:01:13,980 --> 00:01:16,202 Southgate Road and create a new section 36 00:01:16,202 --> 00:01:18,490 of South Nash Street provide a 37 00:01:18,490 --> 00:01:20,690 dedicated 10 ft wide bi directional 38 00:01:20,690 --> 00:01:22,430 bike trail as well as eight ft 39 00:01:22,430 --> 00:01:24,430 sidewalks on both sides of Columbia 40 00:01:24,430 --> 00:01:27,770 pike . It will be constructed in phases 41 00:01:27,770 --> 00:01:29,826 to maintain traffic throughout along 42 00:01:29,826 --> 00:01:32,870 the corridor . It also includes phase 43 00:01:32,870 --> 00:01:34,981 one of southern expansion in the form 44 00:01:34,981 --> 00:01:37,037 of constructing five retaining walls 45 00:01:37,037 --> 00:01:38,870 and a tunnel that will run under 46 00:01:38,870 --> 00:01:41,203 Columbia pike and connect the new A . N . 47 00:01:41,203 --> 00:01:43,203 C . Operations complex in the south 48 00:01:43,203 --> 00:01:45,700 with the rest of the ceremony . The 49 00:01:45,710 --> 00:01:48,110 southern expansion project will add 50 00:01:48,110 --> 00:01:50,221 approximately 50 acres to A . N . C . 51 00:01:50,390 --> 00:01:52,720 Including 37 new acres of contiguous 52 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,570 burial space Provide over 80,000 new 53 00:01:56,570 --> 00:01:58,181 internment and entertainment 54 00:01:58,181 --> 00:02:00,292 opportunities . With the construction 55 00:02:00,292 --> 00:02:02,403 of new column barium courts in ground 56 00:02:02,403 --> 00:02:04,626 cremated remains sections and in ground 57 00:02:04,626 --> 00:02:06,570 cascaded remain sections , it will 58 00:02:06,570 --> 00:02:08,514 seamlessly integrate the Air Force 59 00:02:08,514 --> 00:02:10,626 memorial with Arlington Cemetery . It 60 00:02:10,626 --> 00:02:12,403 will be it will construct a new 61 00:02:12,403 --> 00:02:14,626 pedestrian access point and a screening 62 00:02:14,626 --> 00:02:16,514 facility as well as an additional 63 00:02:16,514 --> 00:02:18,348 parking garage and a new vehicle 64 00:02:18,348 --> 00:02:20,459 screening facility . It will relocate 65 00:02:20,459 --> 00:02:22,459 agency's operational complex to the 66 00:02:22,459 --> 00:02:24,681 south of Columbia pike in order to gain 67 00:02:24,681 --> 00:02:27,060 contiguous burial space , although 68 00:02:27,060 --> 00:02:29,171 every one of these items is important 69 00:02:29,171 --> 00:02:29,430 in its own right .