Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, otherwise known as the South Capitol Street Bridge, carries South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. It was constructed in 1950 and named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

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 is part of the National Highway System, as are South Capitol Street north of the bridge and the Suitland Parkway. Major re-decking work was done to the bridge in 1974 and again in 1988.

The bridge, besides being in disrepair, provides an unsightly gateway to an industrial part of town that the Government of the District of Columbia wants to rejuvenate, including the area around the new baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals, planned for completion in 2008. Therefore, various options for replacing the bridge are under consideration, including one that would add a traffic light at the bridge's north end which would also be foreshortened some.