D.C. Bridge To Shut at Midnight
We're about to find out how many of you are on vacation. The Douglass Bridge, which takes South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River, will close at midnight tonight for two months of reconstruction. On summer days, the District Department of Transportation estimates, at least one of every 10 commuters is on vacation, providing some extra space for the rest of you.
What lies beneath: The work zone under the Douglass Bridge, where the elevated road will be lowered. (Robert Thomson)We'll get our first look at that on Friday morning. The first few days of this should be the worst, as commuters get used to their new routes and schedules. Traffic on Friday should be lighter than normal, since many people used July 4 to launch a long holiday weekend. Next week will provide a better test of the commuting difficulties.
We'll talk a lot more about that in coming days, but here are my answers to some of your frequently asked questions about commuting during this project. I'll use the blog repeatedly to tell you what I'm learning from experience, and I hope you'll share your advice as well.
Will this be a hassle?
Yes. The District estimates that morning commutes for drivers used to traveling across the Douglass Bridge will take an extra 20 minutes while the afternoon trip could take 20 to 30 minutes longer. Your results may vary.
What detours can you recommend?
Click for District Department of Transportation map of main detours around Douglass Bridge. None. All the alternative driving routes toward downtown Washington from the southeastern part of the region are likely to experience extra congestion. The prime detour route set up by the District is the 11th Street Bridge, which takes Interstate 295 across the Anacostia River. The heaviest congestion is likely to be near the junction of I-295 and the Suitland Parkway. About 72,000 drivers used the Douglass Bridge each day. About 97,000 use the 11th Street Bridge. (Here's a map of the District's suggested detours.)
Will new bus schedules be published so we can plan what time we need to leave home?
Yes. Metro and the Maryland Transit Administration have new schedules for the times and routes of buses affected by the bridge closing. Metro has lowered the bus fares on affected routes, because commuters will have to pay the rail fare as well, but MTA bus fares remain the same. The Metro routes will terminate at Green Line stations east of the Anacostia River. Some of the MTA routes have added stops at Green Line stations to give passengers the option of completing their commute by train.
Is anything being done to ease congestion?
Yes. First, the project was scheduled to coincide with the summertime decline in traffic. Also, about 1,500 drivers are participating in the "Bridge Bucks" program, which will subsidze their commute by transit during July and August. The Distict says it will monitor traffic conditions and deploy motorist assistance patrols as needed. An extra lane has been paved on a stretch of northbound 295 to help traffic approaching the 11th Street Bridge.
How long?
Two months. The message boards on the highways say the bridge will reopen by Sept. 7, but District officials are hoping to get the project done during August and have offered incentives to the contractor to finish early.
Can I park and ride transit?
Elevated road near new Nationals stadium will be lowered. (Robert Thomson)Yes. The District notes there is extra capacity at Anacostia Metro station and at the RFK Stadium commuter parking lot. But consider this: The entrance to the Anacostia Station parking garage is on Howard Road SE, putting you in the heart of what I think will turn out to be the worst traffic. (See map of station.) Once you reach the lot, parking will cost $3.50 a day, and you'll pay $1.35 to $1.70 to reach a Metrorail stop in the central city. Once you reach the RFK lot, just before the intersection of East Capitol and 19th streets, you will already have gotten through what's likely to be the worst of the traffic spawned by the bridge shutdown. You'll pay $7 to park, plus the Metrorail fare from Stadium-Armory Station.
But in both cases, it's cheaper than paying for downtown parking, even with the Metro ride thrown in, and you'll get some relief from the normal traffic congestion on the west side of the Anacostia.
How are hundreds of extra passengers going to fit onto already-crowded Metro trains? Will more trains be added?
No. Metro added more cars to all lines, including the Green Line, around Cherry Blossom time. No additional cars were allocated because of the Douglass Bridge shutdown. It remains to be seen whether the already crowded Green Line can handle more passengers.
What's the overall parking situation at the Metro stations?
Limited. This advice comes from Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel: There is parking available at Anacostia, both in the garage and 12-hour metered parking in the Kiss and Ride. There is no excess parking at the remaining lower Green Line stations, east of the Anacostia. All stations along the lower Green Line (Southern Avenue to Branch Avenue) fill to capacity early.
On the Orange Line, there is some excess parking at Landover. But Largo Town Center, Morgan Boulevard and and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant all fill to capacity early.
By |
July 5, 2007; 5:34 AM ET
Construction
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Posted by: Alexandria to District Heights | July 5, 2007 8:39 AM
This is going to be crazy for Metro. The Green Line has been a sardine can for years all the way up to L'Enfant Plaza in the AM rush and all the way out from L'Enfant in the PM rush.
Dr. G, do you know of any employers around town that are offering flexibility to help ease the crunch? Some job schedules are definitely inflexible, but some could allow workers to adjust so they can miss the worst of the congestion.
Posted by: dirrtysw | July 5, 2007 8:48 AM
Does anyone know how to get off of 295 southbound (coming from Route 50 and/or the BW Parkway) and get on the 11th Street Bridge? I've never seen a sign for any kind of exit between Pennsylvania Ave. and Howard Road. Or is this bridge only accessible from interstate 295-northbound and not from DC-295 (Anacostia Freeway) southbound?
Posted by: Anonymous | July 5, 2007 11:10 AM
I stopped driving that route last year. The traffic on the Suitland Parkway is horrendous everytime it even looks like it is going to rain or there is a minor fender bender on the bridge. It's just not worth the time and trouble. I pity the drivers who have to endure the standing back ups that will be present every morning from 295 all the way past to Southern Avenue. And the Green Line? Please! That's already to capacity and there is nowhere to park after 7:15 a.m. Good going Metro.
Posted by: C-dog | July 5, 2007 11:49 AM
295 south to 11th Street Bridge: you can't get there from here. At least not directly. This is a direct result of the cancelled Barney Circle Connector (which would have provided the "missing movements" at the Pennsylvania Avenue/295 interchange...including the Southwest Freeway to 295 north movement which was added after the fact via a left-turn signal).
So here's how to get around it:
1) Stay on 295 south past the 11th Street Bridge to the Howard Road exit. Turn left, then immediately left again onto 295 north. The right lanes lead to the 11th Street Bridge.
2) Stay on 295 south past the 11th Street Bridge. Take the second exit (Suitland Parkway), and do not merge onto Suitland Parkway. Stay in that lane, follow the ramp back onto I-295 north again. Take the 11th Street Bridge exit.
3) Get off 295 at Pennsylvania Avenue east. Turn left at Minnesota Avenue from the left-most left turn lane. Then make a left turn onto Minnesota Avenue southbound (you will be driving around a triangular shaped park), then right onto Pennsylvania Avenue. Then you can access the Southeast Freeway from there after crossing the Sousa Bridge. This route does not work during rush hours: in AM rush the turn from northbound to southbound Minnesota Avenue is banned, and in PM rush hour, the traffic on Pennsylvania is very heavy.
Posted by: Woodley Park | July 5, 2007 11:51 AM
From Dr. Gridlock for "Alexandria to District Heights": I'd take I-495 to District Heights, but why not try each of them on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (the peak traffic days)and compare?
My guess is that you'll run into knots of congestion on both routes, but that the 495 route will be the better of the two.
Also, listen to traffic reports on stations like WTOP, or look online at www.trafficland.com, www.traffic.com or www.washingtonpost.com/traffic.
Posted by: Robert Thomson | July 5, 2007 1:32 PM
From Dr. Gridlock for "dirrtysw": That was a good point about employers and flexible hours. I don't know of any employer engaged in a special program on hours because of the Douglass Bridge project, but some government and non-government employers are offering flexible schedules and opportunities to telecommute. To get some ideas, check this Web page at Commuter Connections:
http://www.mwcog.org/commuter/Bdy-Empsvcs-alternative.html
Posted by: Robert Thomson | July 5, 2007 1:41 PM
I drove across the South Capitol Street bridge on Tuesday. It's not my normal route, but the radio said there were two crashes on I-395, so I got on the Beltway intending to go through Old Town and the traffic was so light that I just continued on over the Wilson Bridge and up I-295. Decided to take South Cap so as to get a good look at the progress on the new ballpark. To me, that's going to be the real letdown--can't watch the progress there as easily now, unless one uses the project's webcam.
What an overall dysfunctional set of roads that is over there, though. I remember last year going on an unexpected tour of Anacostia when I made a wrong turn heading to RFK from M Street SW (took the wrong ramp onto the highway and was forced over the 11th Street Bridge).
If you're coming from the US-50 area, maybe you could do the reverse of what I had to do on the way to the ballgame that day (I don't know if any road closures prevent this, though): Exit DC-295 at Pennsylvania Avenue, then turn right onto Minnesota Avenue; follow this to where it ends at Good Hope Road and make a right; then take the second right turn for 13th Street SE and it will put you onto the ramp for the 11th Street Bridge. I wouldn't recommend this at night, but (in the reverse direction) it was fine on a weekend on the way to a ballgame.
Posted by: Rich | July 5, 2007 1:56 PM
Two other solutions: Take the East Capitol Street Bridge from southbound I-295 or northbound Minnesota Ave SE; or the Benning Road exit off of I-295/Kenilworth Avenue. These are very low-key alternatives that I usually take when there are the usual bottlenecks, and there is never any traffic.
Posted by: Janet | July 5, 2007 2:06 PM
Though if one takes the East Capitol Street Bridge, avoid Constitution Ave NE (see the "Constitution goes two-way" article in this blog for the reason why) during AM rush.
Posted by: Woodley Park | July 5, 2007 3:01 PM
True. I usually cut around to Maryland Avenue, NE through some side streets to avoid Constitution Ave.
Posted by: Janet | July 5, 2007 3:13 PM
"This is a direct result of the cancelled Barney Circle Connector "
Anyone STILL think that was a good thing?
"How do you like me NOW?".
Seriously, something should be done to get that link built, even if it means forcing DC to do it by holding up the Federal payment or other funding.
After all, this is a Homeland Security issue. What are we supposed to do in the event of a terrorist attack? "Take Metro!"? "Walk, bike, or telecommute"?
It's high time we got sensible and put the greater good ahead of the selfish motives of small groups of vocal obstructionists.
When is enough finally enough?
Posted by: CEEAF | July 5, 2007 5:18 PM
Are they going to adjust the light cycles on M Street into town? That would help traffic flow at least a little bit.
Posted by: AD | July 6, 2007 10:23 AM
Isn't there planned construction to make a full cloverleaf interchange near I-295 and the 11th Street bridge, so as to allow people to access 395 South directly from 295 South, without all the creative turnaround maneuvers at Howard Rd, Penn Ave or Suitland Parkway?
I thought I had read recently that there was now funding in place for this project and construction was scheduled to begin in the next several years.
Posted by: xyv1027 | July 6, 2007 12:23 PM
From what I read, the construction to complete the junction of I-295 and the 11th Street Bridge will be part of some larger project to rebuild the bridge that will start in 2009 or 2011, I forget which. Of course, being the brilliant folks they are, the DCDOT closed the ramps from the bridge to RFK last year, even though there was to be no construction any time soon. (Why couldn't they wait until the new ballpark opened?)
Posted by: Rich | July 6, 2007 3:56 PM
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I live in Alexandria (city) and am about to start a job in District Heights. Am I better off taking 495 or going through DC? Taking 395 to 295 is a couple miles shorter than taking 495, but will the traffic from this bridge project make a difference?