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53-577: The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is a through arch bridge that carries South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. It was completed in 2021 and replaced an older swing bridge that was completed in 1950 as the South Capitol Street Bridge . In 1965, the original bridge was renamed after abolitionist Frederick Douglass . In 2007, the original swing bridge

106-633: A 1670 map drawn by Augustine Herman , was settled by the Anacostans around this time. The core of what is now the Anacostia historic district was incorporated in 1854 as Uniontown and was one of the early suburbs in the District of Columbia. It was designed to be affordable for Washington's working class, many of whom were employed across the river at the Navy Yard ; its (then) location outside of and isolated from

159-500: A 9,000-square-foot (840 m ), two-story complex topped by a green roof/nursery center with classrooms, labs, and a multipurpose area beneath. Studios Architecture was chosen to be the architect of the project, while the administrating agency will be the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation . District of Columbia Public Schools operates public schools. Anacostia High School serves Anacostia. Ballou High School

212-515: A ceremony that celebrated its imminent completion. As part of that ceremony, it was announced that the bridge would open to outbound vehicles on September 10, with the inbound lanes opening the next day. Both directions opened on schedule, and the old bridge is scheduled for dismantling once all remaining work is complete. Nighttime closures of the new bridge for up to 15 minutes at a time were scheduled every weekday from September 15 to 29 so crews can finish up construction and conduct tests. Demolition of

265-467: A through arch does not change the proportions or size of the arch: a large span will still require a tall arch, although this can now reach any height above the deck without obstructing traffic. The arch may also reach downwards at its sides, to either reach strong foundations or to place the roadway at a convenient height for spanning a deep valley from a plateau above. The Tyne Bridge demonstrates both of these advantages. A well-known example of this type

318-586: A year-round ice skating rink at Fort Dupont Park; the city police boys' club; and a tennis and learning center, combining sports with academic tutoring in Congress Heights. St. Elizabeth's Hospital, D.C. Village and the Blue Plains sewage treatment plant were long-established Anacostia developments noted in a late-1990s report. The report also cited attention to the area at that time from Hillary Clinton and Newt Gingrich . In 2005, Building Bridges Across

371-509: Is constructed in place or lifted into position. In some cases, this type of arch has been created by constructing cantilevers from each side, with the shoreside ends bolted securely down into heavy piers. The incomplete channel ends are then constructed toward each other and either filled by construction or by lifting a prefabricated center section. This type of construction was used in the Sydney Harbour Bridge illustrated above, with

424-715: Is evident in its architecture. In 1957, an Anacostia landmark, the "world's largest chair", was installed at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and V Street SE. The chair was installed by the Curtis Brothers Furniture Company and built by Bassett Furniture . In the summer of 2005, the " Big Chair " was removed for repairs, then returned in April 2006. Notable facilities in the area include Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling (formerly Bolling Air Force Base and Naval Support Facility Anacostia ). Founded in 2000,

477-564: Is in southern Anacostia. The area has a number of middle and elementary schools, and is also the location of Thurgood Marshall Academy . In the 2007 film inspired by the life of Ralph Waldo 'Petey' Greene (played by Don Cheadle ), Greene's straightlaced counterpart Dewey Hughes played by Chiwetel Ejiofor surprises all with his skill at '9 ball' pool. "Grew up in the Anacostia projects ... [and] made [my] way through school hustling", he explains about himself after their game in Talk to Me . The film

530-399: Is not practical to support the arch from beneath during construction. In modern construction, temporary towers are erected and supported by cables anchored in the ground. Temporary cables fly from each side to support arch segments as they are constructed. When the arches are almost complete a jacking bridge is placed over or beneath the gap to force the arches apart, whence the final section

583-581: Is part of the National Highway System , as are South Capitol Street north of the bridge and the Suitland Parkway. The bridge was re-decked and widened in 1975–1978 to repair damage, build new approaches and to create room for a 5th lane that would be bus-only in the rush hour direction. The work also narrowed the sidewalks. In 1988, the swing gate was replaced and as a result of closures the bus-only lane became an all-user lane again. In 2007,

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636-530: Is part of the Smithsonian . Often the name "Anacostia" is used to refer to the entire portion of the city that is southeast of the Anacostia River. The Anacostia Business Improvement District is responsible for the development of the area. The name "Anacostia" comes from the anglicized name of a Nacochtank settlement along the Anacostia River. Archaeological evidence indicates that American Indians settled in

689-968: Is the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, which is based on the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City . Other bridges include the Chaotianmen Bridge in China, the world's longest through arch bridge; Tyne Bridge of Newcastle upon Tyne ; the Bayonne Bridge that connects New York City to New Jersey , which is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge; the Ahwaz White Bridge ; the Bourne Bridge and Sagamore Bridge , smaller, near-twin bridges over

742-404: The Anacostia River waterfront. Numerous public housing apartment complexes were built in the neighborhood. With the flight of much of the middle class out of the neighborhood during the late 1950s and 1960s with the opportunity to move to newer housing in postwar suburbs, Anacostia's demographics changed dramatically as the neighborhood became predominantly African American. Interactions between

795-797: The Cape Cod Canal ; the Pennybacker Bridge in Austin , Texas and as the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis, Tennessee . Wylam Railway Bridge is an early through arch bridge upstream of the Tyne Bridge. The through arch bridge usually consists of two ribs, although there are examples like the Hulme Arch Bridge of through arches with a single rib. When the two arches are built in parallel planes,

848-588: The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Anacostia. During the Civil War , Anacostia was protected by a series of forts upon the hills southwest of the city. Following the conclusion of the war, the forts were dismantled and the land returned to its original owners. Anacostia, always part of the District of Columbia, became a part of the city of Washington when the city and District became coterminous in 1878. On January 27, 1886,

901-569: The House of Representatives Committee on the District of Columbia voted in favor of renaming Uniontown to Anacostia. After the bill passed the House of Representatives, the Senate also voted in favor of the name change. The name change became effective on April 22, 1886. At the time, property deeds restricted land ownership to people who were white, and therefore Anacostia had only white residents. The opening of

954-460: The Nationals Park would not open until March 30, 2008. Despite these repairs, the bridge continued to deteriorate faster than maintenance could keep up. Inspectors found that the bridge's beams had large corrosion holes in its structural beams which necessitated complete replacement of the bridge. In late 2012, officials announced a $ 906 million plan to replace and realign the bridge. The project

1007-657: The Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge in 1890 began to link Anacostia to the rest of the District of Columbia. In 1932, during the Great Depression , unemployed World War I veterans from all across the country marched on Washington to demand immediate payment of a bonus promised to them. The event became known as the Bonus Army Conflict. Most of the Bonus Army camped on Anacostia Flats, a swampy, muddy area along

1060-542: The Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is named. As of the 2010 Census , Anacostia's population is 92% African-American, 5% Non-Hispanic White, and 3% other. The Anacostia Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, and it retains much of its mid-to-late 19th-century low-scale, working-class character, as

1113-494: The foundations for the bridge. Arch bridges generate large side thrusts on their footings and so may require a solid bedrock foundation. Flattening the arch shape to avoid the humpback problem, such as for Brunel's Maidenhead bridge , increases this side thrust. It is often impossible to achieve a flat enough arch, simply owing to the limitations of the foundations – particularly in flat country. Historically, such bridges often became viaducts of multiple small arches. With

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1166-621: The "Art to Go Go" initiative),a perfroming arts center, a playhouse theater, the local landmark, "The Big Chair," Fredrick Douglass's Home (a museum and historic site) and is adjacent to the Fort Stanton Park neighborhood which hosts the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum. It is located directly east of and along the Anacostia River , after which the neighborhood is named. Bounded by the Southeast Freeway to

1219-455: The Anacostia River later reclaimed as Anacostia Park/Fairlawn Park. Fearing civil unrest, the President ordered the military to disperse the campers from Washington. The Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur dispersed them, but exceeded the orders of President Herbert Hoover by crossing the bridge to Anacostia and torching the veteran's encampment. MacArthur believed that the Bonus Army

1272-498: The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative is revitalizing a 45-acre (180,000 m ) piece of the Anacostia River waterfront to promote the community. Plans include numerous parks restored of their natural wetlands and forests, canoe tie-ups, a playground, a four-acre 9/11 memorial grove, and an environmental education center. The center provides visitors with education about the history and use of the Anacostia River through

1325-464: The Avenue bearing Dr. King's name. Starting in 2006 the annual parade date was changed from January to April. (Also see the separate article on Congress Heights ). In January 2007 a new large supermarket opened to serve the neighborhood. Anacostia downtown is located at the intersection of Marion Barry Avenue (formerly Good Hope Road) and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue . It is the most famous neighborhood in

1378-549: The District's Commissioners voted to name it so, making it both one of the first major bridges named for an African-American or a former slave. The bridge connects at its southern terminus with Interstate 295 and the Suitland Parkway and thus provides access to downtown from those routes as well as from South Capitol Street and roads connecting to it. As a result, the bridge carries commuter traffic from Prince George's County, Maryland , and from Southern Maryland . The bridge

1431-510: The River opened the 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) which is home to eleven nonprofit organizations, all of which share the goal of helping children and adults reach their full potential. Free summer evening jazz concerts are also given weekly in Fort Dupont Park. The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Parade is a notable annual event along

1484-751: The Washington, D.C., area at least 4,000 years ago, close to the Anacostia River . Native inhabitants within the present-day District of Columbia included the Nacotchtank , at Anacostia, who were affiliated with the Conoy . Captain John Smith explored the area in 1608, traveling up the "Eastern Branch"—later the Anacostia River—mistaking it for the main body of the Potomac River , and met Anacostans. Before

1537-413: The arch remain similar no matter what the size: wider arches are thus required to be taller arches. For a semi-circular arch, the height is half of the span. Bridges across deep, narrow gorges can have their arch placed entirely beneath a flat roadway, but bridges in flatter country rise above their road approaches. A wide bridge may require an arch so tall as to become a significant obstacle and incline for

1590-411: The area's white and black residents were often contentious, as was the case in the 1949 Anacostia riot at a desegregated public pool. Shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities throughout greater Anacostia are limited, as development slowed with a decrease in income in the area. Residents often must travel to either the suburbs or downtown Washington for these services. Anacostia, however, does have

1643-638: The arrival of whites, the Nacostine villages in this area were a lively center of trade visited by Native Americans such as the Iroquois of New York. Even after the founding of Maryland, Leonard Calvert, in a letter to a merchant in London, described "Anacostan" as one of the three best places in the colony for trading with natives. Around the year 1668, native peoples previously living south of Anacostia were forced northward by war. Anacostine Island, which first appeared on

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1696-493: The availability of iron or concrete as structural materials, it became possible to construct a through arch bridge : a bridge where the deck does not have to be carried over the top of the arch. This requires a structure that can both support the deck from the arch by tension rods, chains or cables and allow a gap in the arch, so the deck can pass through it. The first of these in particular cannot be achieved with masonry construction and requires wrought iron or steel. The use of

1749-417: The bridge deck. At both ends of the bridge there will be an esplanade run under the bridge and along the Anacostia River as well as a community park. The bridge is the biggest public works project in the history of the District of Columbia, and employed more than 1,300 workers at the height of construction. The federal government contributed more than $ 200 million towards the bridge's cost. In 2019 cost of just

1802-423: The bridge was closed from July 6 to August 29 for a $ 27 million renovation project meant to extend its life for 20 years. The northernmost portion of the bridge was demolished, with this came new intersections South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue and notably more curved northern exit point. The deck was once again replaced and resurfaced, and new street lights and guard rails were added. The access point to

1855-455: The bridge was estimated at $ 480 million. Work began on the bridge in 2018, in sync with the commemoration of the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass' birth. It was half finished in 2019, with completion expected in 2021. In a news release in February 2021, Mayor Bowser announced that the bridge was projected to open on October 1. On September 6, 2021, a 5K run was held over the new bridge as part of

1908-418: The city made its real estate inexpensive. The initial subdivision of 1854 carried restrictive covenants prohibiting the sale, rental or lease of property to anyone of African or Irish descent. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass , often called "the sage of Anacostia", bought Cedar Hill, the estate belonging to the developer of Uniontown, in 1877 and lived there until he died in 1895. The home is still maintained as

1961-481: The deliberate tension member that is the key to a tied-arch. Although visually similar, tied- and untied- through-arch bridges are quite distinct structurally and are unrelated in how they distribute their loads. In particular, cast iron bridges such as the Stanley Ferry Aqueduct may resemble tied-arch bridges, but as cast iron is weak in tension they are not structurally a tied arch. In some locations it

2014-559: The four construction teams that will be asked to solicit final bids on the bridge demolition and construction: The cost of the bridge (which included demolition of the existing ramps and construction of the bridge and traffic ovals, but not the Suitland Parkway interchange) was now pegged at $ 608 million. The new bridge also required the removal of USS  Barry  (DD-933) , the Washington Navy Yard 's deteriorating museum ship , which would have been landlocked by construction of

2067-457: The new span. Mayor Muriel Bowser budgeted $ 512.7 million over six years, beginning in fiscal 2016, to begin building the bridge. On August 7, 2017, DDOT chose South Capitol Bridge Builders as the contractor team to design and build the new bridge and ovals. The bridge will have six lanes as well as bicycle and pedestrian access. Anacostia Drive was permanently closed under the bridge and access to it from South Capitol Street and Suitland Parkway

2120-472: The north and northwest, the Suitland Parkway to the south and southwest as well as Fort Stanton and Ricketts Park to the east, Anacostia includes all of the Anacostia Historic District , which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site preserves the famous 19th century civil rights leader's home. The Anacostia Community Museum

2173-546: The north end of the bridge with Potomac Avenue SW. A second massive traffic oval on the south end of the bridge was to help connect it to Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, and help expand the city's "monumental core" into Anacostia . Reconstruction of the two interchanges was estimated to cost $ 209.2 million. The remainder of the budgeted funds will help renovate New Jersey Avenue SE and turn South Capitol Street from an industrial corridor into an urban boulevard. The two-year project

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2226-424: The old bridge started in early 2021, when the ramp from the southbound bridge to South Capitol Street was demolished to make room for the approach to the new bridge. The sidewalk along that side of the bridge was closed on February 6, 2021. On September 10 one lane of Southbound traffic was moved from the old bridge to the replacement and then on the 12th all remaining traffic was removed from the original bridge and it

2279-488: The roadway. Small bridges can be hump-backed , but larger bridges such as the Old Bridge, Pontypridd may become so steep as to require steps, making their use for wheeled traffic difficult. Railways also find arched bridges difficult as they are even less tolerant of inclines. Where simple arched bridges are used for railways on flat terrain the cost of building long approach embankments may be considerable. Further issues are

2332-502: The structure is a parallel rib arch bridge. When the two arch ribs lean together and shorten the distance between the arches near the top, the span is a basket handle arch bridge. Many tied-arch bridges are also through-arch bridges. As well as tying the side-loads of the arch, the tension member is also at a convenient height to form the bridge deck, as for a through-arch. The converse is not true: through-arch bridges do not imply that they are tied-arch bridges, unless they also provide

2385-511: The supporting cables to the higher side of the arches removed after completion. Anacostia Anacostia / æ n ə ˈ k ɒ s t i ə / is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Marion Barry Avenue (formerly Good Hope Road)SE and the neighborhood contains commercial and government buildings, mid-rise mixed development, city-sanctioned art murals and galleries (under

2438-493: The world. Work on the bridge began in 1945, being advertised 2 weeks after World War II ended, but was stalled in 1947 for four months while the District asked Congress for more money. The bridge ultimately opened in 1950. What to name the bridge had been a question since before it opened, with people all over the world sending in suggestions. The leading ideas in 1950 were FDR, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington and Herbert Hoover and Frederick Douglass. One idea suggested in 1950

2491-505: Was Walter Johnson, which would have been prescient since the baseball stadium would be built at the foot of the bridge more than 50 years later. But it was only Douglass who was the subject of an organized movement that submitted a petition with 250 names. It took 14 years, but in 1964 the D.C. Federation of Civic Associations requested that the bridge be named the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and on October 18, 1965,

2544-453: Was closed to traffic. Full dismantlement started shortly thereafter. Dismantlement took several months. The deck was removed by November and the piers were removed in December. The Abutments were completely gone by February, thereby ending the dismantlement of the old bridge. Through arch bridge For a specific construction method, especially for masonry arches, the proportions of

2597-471: Was composed of and led by Communists. George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower served under MacArthur during these events. Anacostia's population remained predominantly European-American up until the late 1950s and early 1960s, with whites comprising 87% of the population. During the 1960s, the Anacostia Freeway (I-295) was constructed. The highway imposed a barrier between the Anacostia neighborhood and

2650-416: Was curtailed. In 2017, South Capitol Bridge Builders estimated that, if all went well, construction would be finished in December 2021. DDOT unveiled the new design for the bridge on August 10, 2017. The design is for a 1,600-foot (490 m) long through arch bridge consisting of three sets of parallel white arches. The bridge will have six traffic lanes, and a joint bicycle-pedestrian path on either side of

2703-663: Was to begin in 2013. An initial bridge design was submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission and the United States Commission of Fine Arts in summer 2013. The CFA rejected the design in September, called it "uninspired". The agency asked for a design with a more "contemporary approach" and "bolder look". On January 29, 2014, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced

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2756-409: Was to build new interchanges between the bridge and Suitland Parkway, the bridge and Potomac Avenue SW, Suitland Parkway and Interstate 295 , and Suitland Parkway and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue . The four-lane bridge was to be replaced with a $ 573.8 million six-lane bridge. A traffic circle with a large field (to be used for public gatherings, and suitable for several new memorials) was to connect

2809-597: Was used by 77,000 daily commuters . The original bridge opened on January 14, 1950, as the South Capitol Street Bridge, though it had previously been called the Victory Bridge by Captain H.C. Whitehurst, the District Director of Highways, because it was the first project started after the war ended. At the time it was the longest bridge in the District of Columbia and one of the longest swing bridges in

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