When he crosses the Anacostia River, Dan Bell uses the 11th Street Bridge, but he doesn't enjoy it.
"The weave patterns on the bridges are opposite of what they should be," he said. "So you have a lot of local and interstate traffic trying to mix it up on a short span."
Bell should know. He's one of the many consultants working on the new 11th Street Bridge. Construction on the $300 million project begins this week.
Bell said the new bridge will be similar to the recently-remodeled Woodrow Wilson Bridge, because it will feature two seperate spans: one for interstate traffic and another for local neighborhood traffic.
He said this should put an end to the cluster of cars that forms regularly on the bridge.
"That's what causes a lot of the traffic," he said.
The span for local traffic will also feature a pedestrian sidewalk and tracks for future streetcar use. The 11th Street Bridge project is slated for completion in 2013.
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