Bridge construction began in October 2000 with the commencement of a dredging contract . On May 17 , 2001 , MSHA issued notice to proceed for the foundations contract . The preconstruction conference for the Bridge superstructure contract was held on September 11 , 2001 . The events of the day , including the attack on the nearby Pentagon , caused the evacuation of the bridge foundation construction crews and disrupted the preconstruction meeting . On December 16 , 2001 , MSHA received only one bid that was more than 70 % above the engineer 's estimate and the bid was ultimately rejected . In total , the work was executed by 26 prime contractors and 260 subcontractors
events of the day
September 11 attacks
Woodrow Wilson Bridge