(Washington, DC) — The new 11th Street Local Bridge is set open tomorrow morning to provide a direct connection between Historic Anacostia and the Capitol Hill/Navy Yard area. With the opening of the new local bridge and the additional new ramps that are scheduled to open over the next several weeks, there will be significant changes for local and commuter traffic crossing the Anacostia River.

In preparation for the opening of the new local bridge a full closure of the existing outbound 11th Street, SE bridge and corridor from M Street, SE to Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE will be required starting at 10 pm tonight to switch traffic to the new local bridge. The new outbound and inbound 11th Street Freeway Bridges will remain open.

Opening of New Local Bridge and Closure of 13th Street Ramp

Starting tomorrow morning the new 11th Street Local Bridge between Historic Anacostia and the Capitol Hill/Navy Yard area will be opened in an interim condition. The new 11th Street corridor will accommodate two-way local traffic and pedestrians across the river and provide a direct connection to the Washington Navy Yard at O Street, SE.

In the local bridge’s interim condition, there will be 2 lanes for inbound traffic and 1 lane for outbound traffic towards Anacostia. There will also be a temporary 6-foot separated walkway for pedestrians and cyclists.

After tomorrow morning’s rush hour period, the existing 13th Street ramp, which currently provides access from Good Hope Road to the inbound 11th Street Freeway Bridge (I-695 WB), will close permanently.

All inbound traffic from Anacostia will be directed to the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, SE where motorists will access the new inbound 11th Street corridor.

With the opening of the new local 11th Street Bridge and the closing of the 13th Street ramp pedestrians and bicyclists will see the following changes by tomorrow morning:

• Capitol Hill/Navy Yard area: pedestrians and bicyclists currently using the 11th & N Street intersection on-ramp will instead continue one block further south to access Anacostia via the new 11th & O Street intersection on-ramp to the Local 11th Street Bridge/Corridor. Pedestrians and bicyclists will continue along the new 11th Street Corridor and land at the intersection of MLK, Jr. Ave. & Good Hope Road.
• Historic Anacostia/NPS Anacostia Park area: pedestrians and bicyclists currently using the Good Hope Road/NPS Park ramp will access the new 11th Street Corridor at the intersection of MLK, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road and travel across the river and land at the 11th and O Street intersection next to the Navy Yard.
• Protected Crossing: pedestrians crossing to either side of the Anacostia River will be protected from traffic by a concrete jersey barrier wall until the local bridge can be completed this fall.

The map below diagrams the new traffic pattern with the opening of the local bridge and closure of the 13th Street ramp.

Temporary Traffic Impacts

Please note: this new traffic pattern is anticipated to cause temporary traffic delays during the morning rush hour, until a new freeway ramp opens in approximately 6 weeks. That new ramp, which will complete a missing connection between southbound DC 295 and the inbound 11th Street Freeway Bridge, will draw commuters and reduce rush hour congestion in Anacostia.

In addition, a new on-ramp from 11th Street, SE to the westbound SE/SW Freeway is also expected to open before July 4. That ramp will re-establish the connection to the freeway for local traffic. In the meantime, motorists attempting to access the westbound SE/SW Freeway from Anacostia will have to use one of the 3 detour routes diagrammed on the map below:

Detours

Tonight during the closure of 11th Street, SE, local traffic seeking access to Anacostia from M Street, SE and the Navy Yard Area will be detoured onto the new ramp at the intersection of M Street and 11th Street, SE, to the outbound 11th Street Freeway. From there motorists can access southbound I-295, then Howard Road, SE to get to Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue.

Electronic signs will be in place to provide motorists advanced notice of the scheduled detour.  

In the event of inclement weather or other unforeseen conditions, this work will be rescheduled and an updated advisory will be distributed.

This closure is in addition to the previously publicized off-peak closures of the 11th Street bridges, related ramps, local streets, Southeast/Southwest Freeway and I-295/DC 295.

For more information about this work or the 11th Street Bridge Project, please contact DDOT Deputy Chief Engineer Ravindra Ganvir at (202) 359-6948 or visit www.AnacostiaWaterfront.org/11thStreetBridge