(Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams unveiled and invited public comment on four possible designs for a new South Capitol Street/Frederick Douglass Bridge over the Anacostia River. Developed by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the designs are for a distinctive addition to the District's skyline on the Anacostia to boost the South Capitol Gateway and help fulfill the goals of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI). View the South Capitol Street Bridge Study website.
DC Congress woman Eleanor Holmes Norton described her ongoing work with the House Appropriations Committee to assure the funding of the new bridge. To see the bridge concepts in 3-D animation, click here.
"South Capitol Street is one of our city's most significant gateways leading to the heart of downtown and to our Nation's democratic institutions—the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress—and one that many people will use as they travel to and from our new baseball stadium in Southeast," said Mayor Williams. "The South Capitol Street corridor is critical to reconnecting our city to the Anacostia River and to bringing together neighborhoods on both sides of the river."
Construction of the new bridge will start in 2011. A community meeting is planned for early April to solicit comments on the designs and update the public on the work on the corridor. The draft Environmental Impact Statement will be released this June.
Mayor Williams also thanked Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton, Steny Hoyer and Joe Knollenberg, key congressional supporters of the new bridge. The new bridge is budgeted at $250 million, with 80 percent expected to come from federal funds and 20 percent from District money.
While the planning proceeds for the new bridge, major work will start shortly to transform the existing South Capitol Street Bridge. Starting this summer, the bridge will be rehabilitated to ensure its continued safety and use. The work includes new lighting, better sidewalks and a new coat of paint. In addition two blocks of the elevated viaduct will be removed and replaced with an at-grade roadway, greatly improving the appearance and pedestrian access along South Capitol Street.