Columbia’s District Department of Transportation has started two of its major projects, the 9th Street Bridge (NE) and the 11th Street bridges (SE).

The $300m 11th street bridges contract will be executed by Skanska/Facchina using the design-build-to-budget method. This type of design and construction is performed by a construction contractor and designer (design-build team).

The new bridges will connect the Anacostia Freeway and the Southeast Freeway, and provide access to Historic Anacostia, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Anacostia Park areas. The project will add a third bridge for local traffic featuring bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, along with streetcar tracks for improved transit accommodations.

The 9th Street bridge project requires critical infrastructure improvements, replacing the old 1941 structure with a new four-lane bridge capable of carrying 26,000 cars and trucks daily. Construction will be carried out in a phased manner to accommodate the daily traffic.

It connects New York and Rhode Island Avenues over railroad tracks enabling access to nearby businesses areas along Brentwood Road. However, motorists will be directed to marked detours.

Completion of these bridges will boost the economic development opportunities in Brentwood and along the Anacostia River.