The daily commute is slated to get even worse for some drivers starting Monday — and it won’t get better for two years. Two of the six lanes across the already clogged New York Avenue bridge in Northeast D.C. are scheduled to be closed between Florida Avenue and Penn Street by 5 a.m. Monday for a massive $34 million bridge rebuilding project.
City officials are recommending alternative routes during the work, which is scheduled to last until 2013. They also are trying to goad commuters into taking other modes such as Metro or van pools to help ease pressure through the bottleneck by offering up to 2,000 of them $50 per month in so-called “bridge bucks” to put toward daily trips. So far, District Department of Transportation officials said, nearly 400 people have applied for the incentive.
| Getting around the mess |
| Drivers should expect 15 to 30 minutes extra on their commutes through the construction project. |
| Alternative routes: |
| » Option 1: Montana Avenue to Rhode Island Avenue to North Capitol Street |
| » Option 2: West Virginia Avenue to Florida Avenue |
| » Option 3: South Dakota Avenue to Rhode Island Avenue to North Capitol Street |
| » Option 4: Interstate 295 to either Benning Road or East Capitol Street |
| Stay informed: |
| » Message boards with real-time traffic updates will be placed along New York Avenue |
| » Drivers can view construction alerts on the project’s twitter feed, @NYAve411, or its website, fixingnewyorkave.com |
That’s a small fraction of the estimated 87,000 vehicles that typically pass over the bridge each day. Still, DDOT Chief Engineer Ronaldo “Nick” Nicholson says the perk program should help ease congestion during the busiest commute times.
“If we can take 2,000 vehicles out of that peak hour, that’s the equivalent of one lane of traffic,” he said. “We’re basically equalizing one lane of traffic.”
It’s not just drivers who will be affected. Sidewalks may be closed to bicyclists and pedestrians, as well.
The work is needed because after 44 years, the two spans of the bridge need more than just potholes filled. The Federal Highway Administration has labeled the bridge structurally deficient. The girders supporting the bridge have deteriorated, which creates a critical problem because of its design, Nicholson said. “If one of the girders fails, the whole bridge would fail,” he said.
The bridge is a key connector for commuters along U.S. 50, linking the District and Maryland. But the span also stretches over massive railroad track beds for Amtrak, Metro and CSX freight trains funneling into Union Station.
The project, funded with federal stimulus dollars, is expected to last two years. Initially crews will focus on the inbound span, with some inbound traffic routed onto the outbound lanes, Nicholson said.
