11th Street Bridges
| 11th Street Bridges | |
|---|---|
The 11th Street Bridges from the south in 2015
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| Coordinates | 38°52′19″N 76°59′22″W / 38.8719°N 76.9895°WCoordinates: 38°52′19″N 76°59′22″W / 38.8719°N 76.9895°W |
| Carries | 8 lanes of  I‑695, 4 lanes of local traffic |
| Crosses | Anacostia River |
| Locale | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Official name | Officer Kevin J. Welsh Memorial Bridge (southbound span) 11th Street Bridge (northbound span) |
| Maintained by | District of Columbia Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Beam bridge |
| Total length | 931 feet (284 m) |
| Width | 63 feet (19 m) |
| Longest span | 234 feet (71 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1965 (original north span); 1970 (original south span); December 2011 (new north span); January 2012 (new south span); January 2013 (local bridge) |
| Closed | 1965 and 1970 spans closed 2012. Demolished 2012 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 86,000 per day (2004) |
| Toll | None |
The 11th Street Bridges are a complex of three bridges across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., United States. The bridges convey Interstate 695 across the Anacostia to its southern terminus at Interstate 295 and DC 295. The bridges also connect the neighborhood of Anacostia with the rest of the city of Washington.
The first bridge at the site, constructed about 1800, played a role in the War of 1812. It burned in 1846, but was repaired. A second bridge was constructed in 1873, and replaced in 1907. A modern, four-lane bridge replaced the older bridge in 1965, and a second four-lane bridge added in 1970. In 2009, construction began on three spans (two carrying freeway traffic, one carrying local-only traffic) to replace the 1965 and 1970 bridges. The northbound bridge opened to traffic in December 2011 while the southbound bridge open to traffic in January 2012. The new bridges include new ramps and new interchanges with I-295 (the Anacostia Freeway). The local bridge opened to traffic in May 2012. Portions of all three bridges and their approaches remain under construction as of April 2013[update]. Phase 1 of the project was completed ahead of schedule and within budget in July 2013. The local bridge was fully complete by September 2013. Phase 2 of the project, including the conversion of the Barney Circle Freeway into a boulevard, will be completed in 2015.
The first bridge across the Anacostia River in this area was the Eastern Branch Bridge, a privately owned toll and drawbridge built between 1795 and 1800 about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) upstream from 11th Street SE (at the site of the current John Philip Sousa Bridge). The Eastern Branch Bridge was blown up and partially burned by retreating American soldiers in August 1814 during the War of 1812. It was rebuilt, but burned completely in August 1846.
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