• By Matthew Flis
• May 14, 2020

Construction Watch: New Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge

The new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is currently under construction, with two of its three arches completed, and is expected to open in 2021. The District Department of Transportation is overseeing the project, for which the National Capital Planning Commission approved final plans in April 2018. The old bridge was nearing the end of its life and required replacement.

The new triple-arched Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge will include six travel lanes for vehicles, dedicated bike paths, pedestrian paths, and four overlooks. New open spaces in the east and west ovals will connect to esplanades on both sides of the Anacostia River via pedestrian and bicycle paths. Other components include rehabilitation of several parks and an improved I-295 Interchange.

The bridge is one in a series of projects under the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative that seeks to transform the shores of the Anacostia River. There is also significant federal and local interest in the project because of its location on axis with the U.S. Capitol and its connection to neighborhoods on both sides of the Anacostia River that are undergoing major transformations.

Over the past 20 years, NCPC and the District of Columbia government have developed several plans and studies contemplating a new vision and uses for the South Capitol Corridor. These include Extending the Legacy: Planning American's Capital for the 21st Century; Memorials and Museums Master Plan; Anacostia Waterfront Initiative; and the South Capitol Street Urban Design Study.

Once the bridge opens, both it and the new ovals will be part of a gateway sequence that extends from downtown, the U.S. Capitol, neighborhoods on both sides of the Anacostia River, and Joint Base Andrews. This will benefit District residents and visitors, as well as dignitaries arriving at the base.