Contact (Media Only): Erik Linden (202) 671-2004 and Karyn LeBlanc (202) 671-3490
(Washington, DC) Major construction on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge continues to progress on schedule. The two month major construction has the bridge shutdown to traffic and pedestrians to allow for efficient and safe completion of work.
The multi-million dollar construction project has included the widely publicized bridge lowering of the bridge’s northern approach. This work, which took 16 hours, saw a 200-foot segment of the bridge’s elevated northern approach lowered by just over four feet through the use of more than 35 hydraulic jacks.
The lowering, completed in the second week of construction, has allowed workers to begin the rebuilding of the northernmost portion of the bridge to eventually result in the creation of an at-grade roadway with a new intersection at South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue. The lowering was captured by time-lapse photography** and condensed into a 17-second clip.
Work scheduled for the month includes:
- Continued demolition and utility work on South Capitol Street to prepare for the creation of the new intersection at South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue.
- Ongoing milling and resurfacing.
- Repairs to the swing span, light poles, railings and concrete deck, as well as the installation of new drainage systems.
The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is schedule to reopen to traffic by early September 2007. Ongoing work after the reopening will include continued streetscape upgrades, continued bridge rail installation, traffic signal, electrical and communication upgrades as well as landscaping.
For further information on construction and the most recent construction photos visit DDOT’s web site at www.ddot.dc.gov.