Anyone who’s traveled across the new, $400 million 11th Street bridge interchange notices the change -- tons of traffic destined for I-295 North and South no longer jams up either on the 11th Street Bridge, nearby local streets or Pennsylvania Avenue to the north.
But now, there’s the promise of a new benefit from the $400 million reconstruction that started under then-mayor Anthony Williams almost a decade ago. Instead of tearing down old pilings that held up the original bridge, the city is seeking developers to create a unique pedestrian parkway across the Anacostia.
This park on the river “will be up to 120 feet wide and as long as three football fields stacked end to end to end,” said Scott Kratz, director of the public-private 11th Street Bridge Park.
Kratz said the new project – expected to be open by the summer of 2018 – would bring jobs and outdoor activities to the Anacostia River. There could be performance spaces, environmental sites to learn more about the river and simple sitting places.
It also would serve as a pedestrian-friendly bridge to the eastern Anacostia Historic District which has lagged behind in redevelopment and amenities for the people and businesses already there.
Four firms are competing for the chance to build the new urban array of green space and activity space. A final development firm will be chosen in mid-October. There have been dozens and dozens of community meetings and more will be held before the project actually gets built.
The 11th Street Bridge Park is similar to other alternative-use projects like the High Line in Manhattan. Although the surface of the old 11th Street bridge was almost beyond repair, the pilings sunk into the river almost are as good as new, officials said.
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And soon, if the financing and construction details get worked out, the project will be underway. As Kratz told News4, “mark your calendar for the summer 2018.”
