Contact (Media Only): Erik Linden (202) 671-2004 and Karyn LeBlanc (202) 671-3490

(Washington, DC)  Improvements to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (sometimes referred to as the South Capitol Street Bridge) will continue this weekend, as crews continue repairs on the southbound or outbound lanes.

Following the evening rush hour on Friday, May 18 at 10 pm, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will temporarily close the southbound (outbound) lanes on the Douglass Bridge.

All lanes will be reopened in time for the Monday (May 21) evening rush hour. Outbound bridge drivers will be directed to follow signed detours to I-395 South across the 11th Street Bridge to I-295 South.  Drivers also may consider taking either New York Avenue or Benning Road as alternate routes.

The previous outbound closure, which occurred the weekend of May 4 worked smoothly with minimal impacts to the traveling public. Drivers still are advised, however, to plan accordingly and allow extra time in their travel schedules.

Following this weekend’s closure, the outbound lanes on the Douglass Bridge are scheduled to close for one final weekend on June 1-4.  This final weekend closure will conclude a total of nine weekend closures that began in January 2007. The off-peak weekend closures and repairs are needed to allow workers to safely replace bridge expansion joints with new joints (joints allow a bridge to flex when temperature changes occur).

The joint replacement work is in preparation for a major rehabilitation that will take place on the Frederick Douglass Bridge in July and August - at which time all lanes on the bridge will be closed in both directions.

In preparation for this summer’s complete bridge closure, the District Department of Transportation last week launched an innovative program to spur greater use of transit and ridesharing by affected commuters. Modeled after a successful similar effort carried out by the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project, DDOT’s Bridge Bucks program will provide $50 per month (for two months total) toward transit fares and vanpool fees to encourage commuters to switch out of their cars and into an alternative travel mode, including rail, bus or vanpool.

DDOT Bridge Bucks benefits are available on a first-come, first-served basis to the first 1,500 qualified enrollees who use the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge to travel to and from work on a daily basis.

Commuters may apply by visiting the Bridge Bucks webpage; those without Internet access may call the DDOT Bridge Bucks Team at (866) 922-8257.