Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge opens to traffic, but temporary night stoppages planned

The first set of cars began to drive southbound across the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge at 12:17 a.m. Saturday morning. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
The new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in D.C. is set to open this weekend. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Crews work on the traffic lights on the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Crew work on the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge ahead of its opening this weekend. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Crews work on the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in D.C. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
<p><em>WTOP&#8217;s Dave Dildine contributed to this report. </em></p>
D.C.’s Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge begins opening to traffic this weekend, and on Tuesday the city held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. (WTOP/Kristi King)
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<p><em>WTOP&#8217;s Dave Dildine contributed to this report. </em></p>
The new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge with its distinctive triple arches began welcoming drivers this weekend.

But with some construction activity and testing remaining, there’ll be some scheduled nighttime stoppages in the weeks ahead.

The D.C. Department of Transportation plans multiple traffic stoppages in both directions from Sept. 15 to Sept. 29.

The disruptions will occur nearly each weeknight between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Traffic will be stopped for as long as 15 minutes before moving again.

DDOT promises to avoid impacting game nights at Nationals Park and Audi Field.

The new six-lane suspension bridge also accommodates bicyclists and pedestrians.

The $441 million dollar bridge is the biggest infrastructure project in the history of the District of Columbia.

Dick Uliano

Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives.

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