Will the 11th Street Bridge Open Tomorrow?

ART of WAR Concept: In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack - the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.
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Good Day Ward 8,

When you are on your way to work tomorrow you will probably notice some changes in your commute. Over the next six weeks, DDOT will open new ramps and close some that you have come accustomed to. This is all in part of the construction of the new 11^th Street Bridge. This will affect both local Ward 8 and commuter traffic.

This unfinished portion will be for pedestrian use only. As you
see this can't be finished until the old bridge is demolished.

On or about May 23^rd, DDOT will open the new 11^th Street Bridge, while at the same time close the 13^th Street ramp. As a result, if you live in the southern tip of the Ward, you will enter and leave the community using the new 11^th Street Bridge.

Keep in mind that the 11^th Street Bridge is not 100% complete. DDOT will have to demolish the old deck of the current 11^th Street Bridge in an effort to complete the walking and bike lanes.

My guess is that the first couple of days will result in a traffic nightmare until folks get used to the traffic pattern. Will be interested in getting your feedback tomorrow.

With the opening of the 11th Street Bridge, we will come

and go using this route

Sorry, the 13th Street Ramp is now closed. I can't wait

till DDOT actually demolishes the ramp. I'm sure the Fairlawn

Residents would agree. I hope they convert this open space to a park

Anacostia Pedestrian Bridge Conceptual Idea

ART of WAR Concept: We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps
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My good blogger friend, “And Now, Anacostia” did a blog post on the idea of a bridge that would be used for strictly pedestrian use.  It seems like the idea is not that far-fetched. As you should know, the new 11^th Street Bridge will be completed this summer. The assumption was that after the bridge was completed the older bridges would be torn down since there will be no need to drive across them.

Well an idea has surfaced to keep the older, existing 11^th Street Bridge to serve as an additional connector across the Anacostia River. The unique difference is that instead of driving across the bridge, it will be used as a recreational space for pedestrian use only and we will use it to walk across the river. The concept is still on the drawing board but it set to include intense recreational activities such as rock walls, zip lines, canoe launches, paddle boats parks, bike trails, walking trails and recreational courts.

When I first heard of the idea I was not a supporter, but after more thought I think it is a great idea. Just imagine being able to sit in the park overlooking the Anacostia River from the bridge, or shooting hoops and  playing tennis as the traffic goes by on the new bridges.

There should be some community meetings sometime this spring to provide more details. Currently, the idea is in a conceptual stage. My understanding is that the District will have to raise private dollars to make this a reality.


I wish I could share more of the concept drawings, but the DDOT and the Office of Planning representatives want community input before sharing any more pics. So if you love the idea or think it’s a waste, please be sure to participate in the meeting conversations. CLICK HERE to visit of the OP website to learn more. Stay tuned....

This is a concept drawing provided by the DC OP on what the existing bridge could

become. You can see the possible streetcar on the new 11th St Bridge.

The old bridge would connect to the new bridge.

This is a view from Poplar Point. Again, just a concept. There

will be a need from community input.

This is a view of Poplar Point standing on the bridge

A view of the Navy Yard while standing on the bridge

A view from Anacostia Park

11th Street Bridge Update: 13th Street Ramp to Remain Open!

ART of WAR Concept: With regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up
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Hello Ward 8!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote blog post regarding the construction of the new 11th Street Bridge. In particular, I discussed Anacostia Resident's disappointment in learning that DDOT planned to close access to the 13^th Street ramp prior to the opening of the new bridge. As a result, this would have added about 15 minutes to our daily commute just to leave the greater Anacostia neighborhoods.

Well today, I received some GREAT news. As a result of the community voicing our concern, DDOT has reconsidered their proposal. They will in keep the 13^th Street Ramp open until the 11^th Street Bridge is complete. Great work Everyone! I have included the official press release below.

Gray Administration Announces 13th Street SE Ramp to Close After New Local 11th Street Bridge Opens in Late Spring 

As part of the continuing efforts to expedite the 11th Street Bridge Project construction while minimizing impacts on residents and motorists, Mayor Vincent Gray and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Terry Bellamy announced today that the ramp from 13th Street, SE to the inbound freeway bridge will remain open until the new local bridge opens late this Spring.

“My Administration continues to successfully advance the 11th Street Bridge Project with as little impact on residents and motorists as possible,” said Mayor Gray. “I’m happy to announce that we’ve worked with contractors to have the 13th Street ramp close only after the new local 11th Street Bridge opens in late May/early June.”

The 11th Street Bridge Team considered closing the 13th Street ramp in March 2012 to more quickly build new ramps from southbound DC 295 to the new inbound 11th Street Freeway Bridge and from the new outbound 11th Street Freeway Bridge to northbound DC 295. 

Closing the ramp prior to opening the local bridge would reduce commuter traffic passing through local neighborhoods but would also cause local motorists to be detoured via Howard Road to northbound I-295 to cross the inbound 11th Street Freeway Bridge.  “As has been a hallmark of the 11th Street Bridge Project under the Gray Administration, we proactively communicated with residents and motorist as early as possible about the ramp closure but continued to consider additional options that would reduce the impact,” said Director Bellamy.

“As a result, this project continues to be a model for how major infrastructure projects in the District can be built in partnership with residents and other key stakeholders.”

The new ramps between the freeway bridges and DC 295 are scheduled to open by fall with additional new ramps between the local bridge and both directions of DC 295/I-295 opening later in 2012 and early in 2013.

New Anacostia Bridge - 2 Months of Unnecessary Inconvenience

Art of War Concept: With regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up

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I’m sure you all have noticed the progress being made on the new bridges being built across the Anacostia River. This is pretty exciting because all the morning cut-through traffic in the downtown Anacostia area will soon come to an end and Anacostia will have its own local bridge that will allow us to drive, walk and/or bike across the river.   In addition, the new bridges will allow Maryland and VA commuters to get to downtown DC without using Good Hope Rd or MLK Ave.

The good news of progress is almost always accompanied with a little not so good news.   DDOT has plans to close the 13^th Street ramp before the new 11^th Street bridge is completed. This was not the original plan DDOT proposed to the community years ago when first informing us of the new bridge. The new proposal closes the 13^th Street Ramp on March 1, 2012, months before the 11^th Street Bridge is completed—summer of 2012.

The reason for the change is because the bridge construction was a Design-Build project. This means, as sections of the bridge are built the design may change a little. What has changed was the portion over the 13^th Street ramp. If you were to drive up the 13^th St ramp and look to the left and right, notice the bridge is not connected. The only way to complete this section is to close off traffic on the ramp.

You are probably wondering, what does this mean for me? If you live in Fairlawn, Anacostia, Hillsdale and other greater Anacostia neighborhoods, for at least 2 months, you will have to find an alternative route to leave the neighborhood. These routes include:

·         To Suitland Parkway or Howard Rd to access the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge

·         To Malcolm X Ave at MLK Jr. Ave to north or southbound 295

·         To Pennsylvania Ave to access the Sousa Bridge

  

Traffic studies estimate that it will take 12 minutes to leave the neighborhood-apparently only Anacostia residents will be affected by this change.  Residents on the other side of the river will be fine.

I’m not sure about you, but I’m very disappointed in this proposal. As usual, the underlying reason for this change is MONEY. If the bridge is completed earlier, all parties involved get a monetary bonus.  This includes the construction company, the District and the contractors. In return, Anacostia residents get inconvenienced for 2 months. Get this, in a recent meeting, even the contractors advising residents of the bridge stated they would not be in favor of this proposal if they were living East of the River.

To my understanding if residents speak up enough, there might be a possibility to put forth for a new proposal. One that would include keeping the 13^th bridge open until the 11^th St bridge is completed. Today, I wrote the following email to Mr. Terry Bellamy, Director of DDOT.

Dear Mr. Bellamy,

My name is Charles Wilson, a resident of Historic Anacostia. Recently I learned that DDOT plans to close access to the 13^th Street Ramp prior to the opening of the 11^th St bridge. This will force me and other neighbors to find an alternative route out of Anacosita. As you can imagine, my neighbors and I are very disappointed in this proposal. We hope that DDOT will reconsider and keep the 13^th Bridge open until the 11^th St Bridge is completed.

If you are in agreement, feel free to copy and paste my email or send one of your own to Mr Terry Bellamy at Terry.Bellamy@dc.gov

Soon the 13th Street Ramp will be closed. You

will have to find another way out of the neighborhood for 2 months.

If you look in the distance, you can see the
disconnected sections of the bridge overpass

The Mayor and other City Officials at the grand opening of
the new bridges. More changes are coming...