Thousands of pedestrians in Ward 7 will be safer Thursday thanks to the reopening of the Douglas Street Pedestrian Bridge over Kenilworth Avenue.
“It’s safer, it’s wider, and it’s better lit,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at the bridge’s grand opening on Thursday. “It has improved sidewalks.”
At the inaugural walk across the new bridge, the mayor — joined by the city’s Department of Transportation and members of the community — pointed out that people of all abilities will have an easier time using the bridge.
“Whether they are using a cane or a wheelchair, they will be able to access this very important pedestrian asset,” Bowser said.
The bridge crosses over the I-295 corridor in Northeast and will help those that live in the neighborhoods of Parkside, Mayfair and Eastland Gardens get to the Deanwood Metro station.
The bridge’s construction took three years and $17 million to rebuild after it collapsed in June of 2021 after being struck by the load of a large truck.
“I’m 61 years old, I don’t like going all the way around,” said Claude McCain, of Kenilworth. He told WTOP that the new pedestrian bridge will save him 40 minutes of extra walking a day.
The original Douglas Street Pedestrian Bridge was built in the 1950s and had received a “poor” rating by the city in a February 2021 inspection by the city.
“It was low. It ended before the service lanes. It was really unsafe for pedestrians,” said Sharon Kershbaum, acting director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation. “This is an upgrade in every sense of the way.”
She told WTOP that nearly $14 million of the $17 million bridge was funded by grants from the federal government.
After the inaugural walk across the bridge, Mayor Bowser expressed appreciation to the members of DDOT that were in attendance.
“I want to say thank you to all the people you see in the yellow jackets because they were able to get this bridge up and keep the highway open,” Bowser said.
WTOP’s Ciara Wells contributed to this report.
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