Ethel Kennedy Bridge
| Ethel Kennedy Bridge | |
|---|---|
The Ethel Kennedy Bridge from the south in 2015, with the Metro bridge visible behind and above it
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| Coordinates | 38°53′50″N 76°57′49″W / 38.897195°N 76.963649°WCoordinates: 38°53′50″N 76°57′49″W / 38.897195°N 76.963649°W |
| Carries | Motor vehicles, pedestrians |
| Crosses | Anacostia River, Kingman Island |
| Locale | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Other name(s) | Benning Road Bridge |
| Maintained by | District of Columbia Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Plate girder bridge |
| Total length | 4,700 feet (1,400 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1961 (eastbound structure), 1934 (westbound structure) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 68,400 vehicles per day (1990) |
| Toll | Free both ways |
The Ethel Kennedy Bridge is a beam bridge carrying Benning Road over the Anacostia River and Kingman Island in Washington DC. It is a six-lane bridge with pedestrian lanes on both sides. A separate Washington Metro bridge carrying the Blue, Orange and Silver lines crosses over the bridge near its western terminus, and parallels the bridge on the north.
In 1797, the state of Maryland (which then controlled the area which would later become the District of Columbia) issued a charter to Benjamin Stoddert, Thomas Law, and John Templeman to build a bridge across the Anacostia River. Stoddert owned land (known as "Long Meadows") on the eastern shore of the Anacostia River, and a bridge would have helped him develop him land. The right to build a bridge was not exercised until 1805, when Chain Bridge was swept away during floods. Stoddert then formed the Anacostia Bridge Co., and that same year erected a $20,000 wooden bridge known as Stoddert's Bridge in this location. In the 1790s, "Captain" William Benning came from Virginia and purchased 330 acres (1.3 km2) of land on the western end of Stoddert's Bridge. The site was one of the first crossings over the Anacostia River. The bridge and "Benning's Road" were important eastern routes in and out of the District.
By 1814, the bridge—now also known as "Upper Bridge"—was in disrepair. During the War of 1812, the U.S. military commander of the Military District of Washington burned Stoddert's Bridge in an attempt to stop the British from invading the city of Washington. On March 3, 1815, the United States Congress passed legislation reimbursing the Anacostia Bridge Co. for the destruction of its bridge.
The bridge was rebuilt in 1815 by Dr. Thomas Ewell, who renamed it Ewell's Bridge (although it was also known as the "Anacostia Bridge"). In 1825, Ewell sold the bridge to Benning, who renamed it Benning's Bridge. Benning built a new bridge at the site in the 1830s (although not all sources agree on the exact date).
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Wikipedia