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14th Street bridges

The 14th Street bridges refers to the three bridges near each other that cross the Potomac River, connecting Arlington, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Sometimes the two nearby rail bridges are included as part of the 14th Street bridge complex. A major gateway for automotive, bicycle and rail traffic, the bridge complex is named for 14th Street (U.S. Route 1), which feeds automotive traffic into it on the D.C. end.

14th Street bridges
A November 2013 photo of the 14th Street bridges with East Potomac Park, the Tidal Basin and Washington Channel in the background
Coordinates38°52′34″N 77°02′28″W / 38.876°N 77.041°W / 38.876; -77.041
Carries I-395 / US 1

Amtrak/VRE/CSX
CrossesPotomac River
LocaleWashington, D.C.
Other name(s)Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge
Rochambeau Bridge
George Mason Memorial Bridge
History
Opened1904–1983
Location

The complex contains three four-lane automobile bridges — including, from west to east, one southbound, one bi-directional, and one northbound — that carry Interstate 395 (I-395) and U.S. Route 1 (US 1) traffic, as well as a bicycle and pedestrian lane on the southbound bridge.[1] In addition, the complex contains two rail bridges, one of which carries the Yellow Line of the Washington Metro; the other of which, the only mainline rail crossing of the Potomac River to Virginia, carries a CSX Transportation rail line. The five bridges, from west to east are the George Mason Memorial Bridge, the Rochambeau Bridge, the Arland D. Williams, Jr. Memorial Bridge, the Charles R. Fenwick Bridge and the Long Bridge. In aerial photos, shadows caused by a large, concrete divider on the bi-directional Rochambeau Bridge create the illusion of two, two-lane bridges, but this is in fact, a single, four-lane structure.

At the north end of the bridges, in East Potomac Park, the three roadways connect to a pair of two-way bridges over the Washington Channel into downtown Washington, one six-lane connecting to traffic (including northbound US 1) north onto 14th Street, and the other, an eight-lane bridge connecting to I-395 traffic on the Southwest Freeway. The Metro line connects to a tunnel in the East Potomac Park, and the main line railroad from the Long Bridge passes over I-395 and runs over the Washington Channel just downstream of the 14th Street approach before turning northeast along the line of Maryland Avenue.

On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 clipped the 14th Street Bridge, the northbound I-395 span of the complex, during rush hour and crashed into the Potomac River; this killed four people on the bridge, along with 74 passengers and crew on the aircraft. The repaired span was renamed in honor of Arland D. Williams Jr., a passenger on the plane who survived the initial crash, but drowned after repeatedly passing a helicopter rescue line to other survivors.

Bridges edit

 
14th Street bridges in March 2020 Looking NW at Virginia

Each of the complex's five bridge spans has its own name. From east to west, the bridges are:

 
14th Street bridge in February 2014 Looking East at Washington DC
 
14th Street bridges In December 2016 Looking N up the Potomac River
 
A panoramic view including all five spans: George Mason and Rochambeau Bridges (left background), Williams Bridge (left foreground), Fenwick Bridge (right foreground), and Long Bridge (right background)

History edit

Long Bridge edit

 
1818 map shows the Washington Bridge, here labeled the "Potomac Bridge," between the words "Potomac" and "River".

The name "Long Bridge" was given to a series of bridges across the Potomac dating back to 1809. At times, some of the bridges were referred to as the Bridge at 14th Street, but more often by other names.

The first bridge opened as the Washington Bridge on May 20, 1809 and originally carried vehicle, pedestrian and horse traffic. By the 1830s it began to be called the "long Bridge across the Potomac" to distinguish it from the bridge near Little Falls,[7][8] but over time, the colloquial name was shortened to just the "Long Bridge". Rails had been built to the bridge from the Washington side in 1855 and from the Virginia side in 1857, but there weren't placed on the bridge until the Civil War.[9]

In 1864, a new bridge was built adjacent to the original bridge. When the U.S. Military railroad Charles Minot fell through one of the spans of the old bridge on February 18, 1865, the rails were moved to the new bridge and the old bridge became used for non-rail traffic only, as had been recommended in the prior year.[10][11][12] To some the old bridge became the "turnpike bridge" and the new one the "railroad bridge."[13] For others the two bridges were referred to separately as the Long Bridge and the railroad bridge or as two parts of one "Long Bridge".[14]

An October 1, 1870 flood damaged the bridges beyond repair so a replacement bridge was built over the next two years and the old Washington Bridge was removed.[13][15][16]

The new bridge opened on May 15, 1872. The day the new bridge opened, the old railroad bridge, which had been partially repaired, was closed.[17][16] On July 2, the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railway opened, providing the first direct all-rail connection between the north and Richmond, Virginia.[18]

Despite the new design, the 1872 bridge continued to be damaged by freshets, it blocked river traffic and was not wide enough for two tracks;[19] so two new bridges were built. A new railroad bridge was constructed in 1904 and a new Highway Bridge opened in December 1906. The 1872 bridge was closed on December 18, 1906 and demolished in 1907.[20][21][22][23]

 
Highway Bridge (left) and Long Bridge in 1919
 
Aerial view of the 14th Street Bridges in 1965, with the old Highway Bridge still in place.

The current railroad bridge opened on August 28, 1904, about 150 feet (45 m) upriver from the old bridge.[24][2] In the early years, the bridge was often referred to as the "Railroad Bridge" to distinguish it from "Highway Bridge". It was also sometimes known as the "14th Street Railroad Bridge". It wasn't until the 1980s, during planning of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) system, that the railroad bridge again began to be called by the old "Long Bridge" name. VRE began using the bridge in 1992.

The bridge was substantially reconstructed starting in mid-1942, with 11 new supplemental piers between the original truss spans and steel plate girders replacing the iron and steel truss spans.[25] Work completed on November 9, 1943.

When the Mason Bridge was completed in 1962, it put an end to almost all use of the Long Bridge's draw span.[26] The last time it was opened was March 1969 to allow barges used in the removal of the old Highway Bridge to pass through. The tender's control house, or shanty, on top of the draw remained - often used as a billboard for Georgetown crew races until it was removed in late 1982 or early 1983.[27]

The bridge was rehabilitated in 2016 and CSX determined that it was sufficient to meet their freight needs, but in 2019 DDOT and FRA reported that a second bridge was needed to serve increased passenger rail needs. A third bridge was also proposed to create a new bicycle/pedestrian crossing.[28] In 2019, Virginia announced that they would pay to build a new rail bridge over the Potomac River north of the Long Bridge.[29]

Highway Bridge edit

 
Highway Bridge between 1906 and 1932
 
Looking towards Highway Bridge and Washington in 1932

A new swing-span through-truss bridge called the Highway Bridge or sometimes the 14th Street Bridge, 500 feet (150 m) upriver from the Long Bridge, opened December 15, 1906, to serve streetcars and other non-railroad traffic.[20][30]

The yellow trolleys of the Mount Vernon Railway used the bridge until 1932 when the line was replaced by buses that eventually became part of the Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington (AB&W) Transit Company.[31]

After the George Mason Bridge was opened in 1962, the Highway Bridge was closed, but there was considerable discussion of reusing the Highway Bridge, perhaps for rush hour only automobile traffic. Nonetheless, the Highway Bridge was finally removed from the site in 1967–1968,[32][33] and was taken to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, for bombing practice.

In order to remove the Highway Bridge piers, the Williams and Long Bridges were opened for the last time on March 3, 1969. They were opened to remove barge and crane equipment that had been floated upriver in 1967 to remove the old Highway Bridge piers and install new center bridge piers. A few years prior to 1967, the railroad bridge had been welded shut, and in order to open it for the crane, that had to be reversed.[32]

Pontoon Bridge edit

On July 1, 1942, after two months of work, the War Department opened a pontoon bridge located between the Railroad and Highway bridges. It connected Ohio Drive, then Riverside Drive, to US Highway 1. The bridge was constructed of 30 plank covered pontoons with an asphalt coating for the 12 foot-wide floor. A fixed steel span on the Virginia side provided an opening 30 feet wide and 21 feet high for boats to pass under. Two more fixed spans carried it over the George Washington Parkway. The bridge was built for emergency movement of troops and though it was to allow for civilian use, it never did.[34] Once World War II was over, the bridge was removed in the summer of 1945.[35]

Modern 14th Street Bridges edit

 
The Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge as seen from a Yellow Line train on the Washington Metro (Charles R. Fenwick Bridge).

Despite the different names of the Rochambeau, Mason and Williams bridge, and the fact that there were all built separately, the three are often called "The 14th Street Bridge" together.

Arland D. Williams, Jr. Memorial Bridge edit

Planning for a replacement of the Highway Bridge started in the 1940s to deal with expanded traffic in the automobile age.[36] Work on a new single-span, northbound-only 14th Street Bridge began on August 21, 1947 and the new bridge opened on May 9, 1950 with the ribbon cut by Miss D.C., Mary Jane Hayes.[37][38] The Highway Bridge then became southbound-only, but a 2nd bridge was planned to replace it.[39] The new bridge span incorporated draw spans with a control houses that was designed to complement those on the Arlington Memorial Bridge upstream and on the railroad bridge's swing span downstream.

In 1956, while planning the Jones Point Bridge Congress began to debate what to name it. While one of the first suggestions was to name it after Woodrow Wilson, which eventually it was, Rep. Joel Broyhill (R-VA) suggested naming it for George Mason, or failing that naming the new Highway Bridge for him.[40] This prompted a letter to the editor of the Washington Post suggested it be named for revolutionary war hero Lafayette, since it was near where he led soldiers across the river on the way to Yorktown.[41] A few days later, Charles Parmer a Rochambeau enthusiast and head of Virginia's short-lived Rochambeau Commission, suggested the bridge instead be named for Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau.[42][43] Another letter followed that suggested attaching the name Rochambeau instead to the 14th Street Bridge and that letter caught the attention of Congress member Harry F. Byrd of Virginia who submitted it to the Congressional Record.[44][45] Broyhill submitted a bill naming the bridge for Mason and Byrd submitted one naming it for Rochambeau, and by the middle of summer a compromise had been worked out naming one span for each.[46] Broyhill resubmitted the compromise bill in 1957 and it passed.[47][48] The new bridge was dedicated in honor of Rochambeau on October 19, 1958 at 2pm, at time and date meant to correspond with the time and date that Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1781.[49]

The last time Williams Bridge was opened was on March 3, 1969 to remove barge and crane equipment that had been floated upriver in 1967 to remove the old Highway Bridge piers and install new center bridge piers.

The Williams bridge underwent extensive repair in 1975-1976 which resulted in a closure of more than a year. Workers gave the bridge a new deck, removed the bascule draw span and replaced the sidewalks with shoulders.[50] The control house remained.

On January 13, 1982, the Williams Bridge was damaged by the crash of Air Florida Flight 90. The Boeing 737-222, which had accumulated ice while idling on the runway at National Airport, stalled soon after takeoff, fell on the bridge, and slammed into the iced-over Potomac River. The crash killed 74 passengers and crew, plus four people in cars on the bridge. The repaired span was renamed the Arland D. Williams, Jr. Memorial Bridge on March 13, 1985 – following a December 4, 1984 vote – after one of the passengers, who passed a lifeline to five survivors before permitting himself to be rescued. He succumbed to hypothermia and drowned while rescuers worked to rescue the last of the survivors. The name Rochambeau Bridge was then shifted to the Center Highway Bridge.[51]

After a series of inspections from 2005 to 2009, the District of Columbia's District Department of Transportation (DDOT) began a $27 million rehabilitation of the northbound main span in 2010. Construction, scheduled to last only a few months, was finally completed in 2011. A 2014 inspection found more problems. Citing the expense and the need to replace or repair several deficient bridges elsewhere in the District, DDOT pushed the date for fixing these problems to 2020.[52] On April 13, 2023, DDOT announced the US Department of Transportation had provided $72 million to help fund the rehabilitation project. The $90 million project, which will also be funded in part by the D.C. government, would start with preliminary engineering and the environmental review for the project later that spring, with the preliminary design expected to be completed that fall. Construction is estimated to take two years.[53]

George Mason Memorial Bridge edit

The new George Mason Memorial Bridge opened upstream on January 26, 1962, replacing the old Highway Bridge (then southbound only).[54] The Mason Bridge, unlike the bridges upstream and downstream, could not open for river traffic, thus Potomac River traffic by sea-going vessels traveling above the Long Bridge ceased in 1961.

During the late 1960s, new ramps were constructed between the westbound Shirley Highway and the southbound George Washington Parkway and these eliminated the path between the bridge and the Pentagon. In 1969, the path was connected to the Arlington Memorial Bridge via the Lady Bird Trail and on April 15, 1972 it was connected to Alexandria via the Mount Vernon Trail, of which the Lady Bird Trail became part.

In 1984, the Mason Bridge was closed for several months for a $5.9 million overhaul. The bridge was resurfaced and widened to provide shoulders. The sidewalk was widened and new safety railings were installed between the walkway and the roadway.[55][56]

On July 25, 1989, the George Mason Bridge gained national notoriety as the scene of the 1989 DC Prostitute Expulsion.

In late 2018, the National Park Service rebuilt and improved the trail ramp between the George Mason Bridge path and East Basin Drive.[57]

Rochambeau Bridge edit

 
The Rochambeau bridge under construction

On April 5, 1971, a third bridge opened immediately downstream of the Mason Bridge, carrying two express lanes in each direction.[5][58] Work began in March 1967, but wasn't entirely completed until 1972. The express lanes lead directly to the high-occupancy vehicle lanes on Virginia's section of I-395, though these lanes are only HOV during rush hour.

At the time it opened it was only open for bus traffic, making it the longest exclusive busway in the Country, but over the years the express lane rules have gradually been reduced.[59] In late 1973, carpoolers were allowed to use the bus lanes during rush hour if the car had at least four passengers.[60] In 1975, cars with four passengers were allowed to use the express lanes at all hours.[61] In 1983, Congress passed a law to open the express lanes to all vehicles except during rush hour, when they were restricted to buses, car pools and emergency vehicles and that went into effect in 1985.[62][63] In 1987, due to increased congestion, the Virginia Department of Transportation extended the HOV end time from 6pm to 6:30pm, but later that year it was rolled back after Rep. Stan Parris passed a federal law that would deny Virginia $2.4 million if the rush hour extension remained.[64] In the same year, the VDOT opened the northbound HOV lanes on the bridge to all users to alleviate congestion caused by reconstruction of the SE-SW Freeway.[65] In early 1989, Virginia, in a deal with Rep. Parris, lowered the HOV restrictions from four people per vehicle to three in order to regain control over the management of the HOV lanes.[66][67] In late 2019, the HOV lanes on 395 changed to High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, and as a result the northbound lane on the Rochambeau Bridge became a HOT lane as well.[68]

When it opened, the bridge was known as the Center Highway Bridge. On March 13, 1985, following the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash, the downstream bridge was renamed the Arland D. Williams, Jr. Memorial Bridge to honor one of the passengers who died saving the lives of other survivors during the crash. The name Rochambeau was simultaneously transferred to the Center Highway Bridge. However, the bronze marker naming the bridge was not shifted with the name.[51]

Charles R. Fenwick Bridge edit

The final bridge, the Charles R. Fenwick Bridge, carrying the Yellow Line, opened on April 30, 1983.[69][70] Based on the recommendation of Washington Post reporter Jack Eisen, the bridge was named for Fenwick by the Metro Board on September 22, 1983. Fenwick was a Virginia state legislator from the Washington suburbs who sponsored legislation to create Metro. He died in 1968.[71]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Virginia Freeway HOV Lanes". Roads To The Future. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Cohen, Robert (2013). . DC Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  3. ^ Kelly, John (February 13, 2006). "Answer Man: Opening Up About Bridges". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ "Bridge Renamed For Air Crash Hero". The Washington Post. March 14, 1985.
  5. ^ a b "New Shirley Bus Lane To Be Opened in April". The Evening Star. March 17, 1971.
  6. ^ "To bike across the Potomac, most use the 14th Street Bridge or Key Bridge". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  7. ^ "Potomac Bridge". Virginia free press & farmers' repository. March 10, 1831.
  8. ^ "An Act Concerning the Potomac bridge and the Centre market". Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  9. ^ . Archived from the original on June 21, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  10. ^ United States War Department (1900). The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 974. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  11. ^ "District Matters in Congress". The Evening Star. December 9, 1964.
  12. ^ "Long Bridge". Alexandria Gazette. February 25, 1865.
  13. ^ a b "Five Hundred Feet of the Long Bridge Gone". Evening Star. October 1, 1870.
  14. ^ "The Long Bridge and the Improvement of the Channel". Evening Star. February 9, 1867.
  15. ^ "The Long Bridge". Evening Star. October 21, 1871.
  16. ^ a b "The Long Bridge". The Evening Star. November 19, 1870.
  17. ^ "A. & W. R. R.". Alexandria Gazette. May 15, 1872.
  18. ^ PRR Chronology: July 2, 1872
  19. ^ Report of the Secretary of War. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 1893. p. Appendix J.
  20. ^ a b "GOOD-BY, LONG BRIDGE". The Washington Post. December 17, 1906.
  21. ^ "Long Bridge Closed". The Washington Post. December 19, 1906.
  22. ^ "Long Bridge is Going". The Washington Post. January 27, 1907.
  23. ^ "Notice to Mariners". The Evening Star. December 13, 1907.
  24. ^ "CROSS ON NEW BRIDGE". The Washington Post. August 29, 1904.
  25. ^ "Smith Pushes New Crossings Of Potomac". The Washington Post. October 1, 1941.
  26. ^ "Potomac's Lift Spans On Way Out". The Washington Post. October 12, 1955.
  27. ^ Eisen, Jack (January 29, 1983). "Long Bridge Shanty Razed". The Washington Post.
  28. ^ "Long Bridge Project Draft EIS Executive Summary" (PDF). Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  29. ^ Lazo, Luz (December 19, 2019). "Virginia to build Long Bridge and acquire CSX right of way to expand passenger train service". Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  30. ^ William H. Rehnquist. Remarks at the Arlington Historical Society Banquet September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. April 27, 2001. Retrieved January 25, 2008.
  31. ^ Eisen, Jack (January 13, 1957). "Bridges of Washington Steeped in Historic Past". The Washington Post.
  32. ^ a b "Old Bridge Awaits Wreckers". The Washington Post. March 29, 1967.
  33. ^ "Part of Ohio Drive Closed to Traffic". The Washington Post. March 5, 1968.
  34. ^ "14th Street Floating Bridge Completed, Civilian Traffic to Have Use of Bridge by End of the Month". The Washington Post. July 2, 1942.
  35. ^ "End of a War Landmark". The Evening Star. August 21, 1945.
  36. ^ "A New Highway Bridge". The Evening Star. June 20, 1943.
  37. ^ Lyons, Richard (May 10, 1950). "Highway Span Opens, Does Its Job Bit Too Well". The Washington Post.
  38. ^ "Work Is Begun On Potomac's Twin Bridges". The Washington Post. August 22, 1947.
  39. ^ "Potomac Highway Bridge Opening Ceremony Today". The Washington Post. May 9, 1950. p. 1.
  40. ^ "Name Contest Develops On Jones Point Bridge". The Washington Post. March 9, 1956.
  41. ^ Spratt, Zack (March 22, 1956). "Letter to the Editor 1". The Washington Post.
  42. ^ Parmer, Charles (April 3, 1956). "Naming the Bridge". The Washington Post.
  43. ^ "THE WASHINGTON - ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND". Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  44. ^ Glasgow, Susie P. (April 15, 1965). "Rochambeau Bridge". The Washington Post.
  45. ^ "Gaitskell May Shed Light...M'Carthy Sees It... Worries for Rabb ... Byrd's Economy in Words". The Washington Post. May 14, 1956.
  46. ^ "Drawbridge Over Roosevelt Island Recommended by District Committee". The Washington Post. July 6, 1956.
  47. ^ "71 Stat. 256". Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  48. ^ "Senate Passes Bill To Name Bridge". The Washington Post. May 17, 1957.
  49. ^ "Span Dedication Set for Oct. 19". The Washington Post. September 16, 1958. p. B1; "14th Street Span Named Rochambeau". The Washington Post. October 20, 1958. p. B1.
  50. ^ Feaver, Douglas (September 15, 1975). "Four Bridges to Be Restored: Resurfacing Set For Four Bridges". The Washington Post.
  51. ^ a b Eisen, Jack (December 23, 1983). "Honor for Hero Urged". The Washington Post. p. C2; Eisen, Jack (January 15, 1985). "Bridging a Dilemma". The Washington Post. p. B2.
  52. ^ Dildine, Dave (June 25, 2015). "DDOT details area's structurally deficient bridges". WTOP. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  53. ^ Drain, Aja (April 13, 2023). . DCist. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  54. ^ Schuette, Paul (January 27, 1962). "George Mason Bridge Opened to Traffic". The Washington Post. p. C2.
  55. ^ Lyton, Stephen (June 6, 1984). "14th St. Bridge Detours Planned". The Washington Post.
  56. ^ "Traffic Shifts Set for Weekend on 14th Street Bridge". The Washington Post. November 10, 1984.
  57. ^ @@NationalMallNPS (September 14, 2018). "Trail to 14th Street reroute" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  58. ^ "The Obsolete Turn". The Washington Post. April 1, 1971.
  59. ^ "10-Mile Lane To Open for Buses in Va". The Washington Post. April 4, 1971.
  60. ^ Shaffer, Ron (December 9, 1973). "Bus Lanes on Shirley Highway Open Monday to Car Pools". The Washington Post.
  61. ^ Feaver, Douglas B. (October 19, 1975). "14th St. Lane Open to Car Pools". The Washington Post.
  62. ^ Lynton, Stephen J. (December 1, 1983). "Traffic Woes Forecast On 14th Street Bridge". The Washington Post.
  63. ^ Fishman, Charles (March 14, 1985). "Shirley Hwy. Restriction Ends April 1". The Washington Post.
  64. ^ Melton, R. H. (April 17, 1987). "HOV Hours On I-395 Reduced". The Washington Post.
  65. ^ Schaffer, Ron (August 1, 1991). "HOV Lanes Revisited". The Washington Post.
  66. ^ Melton, R. H. (July 22, 1988). "Va. Agrees To Ease HOV Rule". The Washington Post.
  67. ^ Bates, Steve (January 4, 1989). "ife in the HOV Lane: Trooper's Bag of Tricks". The Washington Post.
  68. ^ Smith, Max (November 18, 2019). "I-395 toll lane FAQ: What to know about the new Express Lanes". Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  69. ^ Washington D.C. Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. . Archived from the original on April 21, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2006.
  70. ^ Eisen, Jack (May 1, 1983). "Soaring on the Yellow Line". The Washington Post.
  71. ^ Eisen, Jack (September 23, 1983). "A Regionalist Is Honored". The Washington Post.

External links edit

  • Roads to the Future – 14th Street Bridge Complex (I-395 and US-1)
  • Cohen, Robert (2003). . Washington, D.C.: Washington Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  • PRR Chronology December 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  • Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. DC-50, "Long Bridge, Spanning Potomac River near Jefferson Memorial, Washington, District of Columbia, DC"
  • Long Bridge at Structurae
  • Federal 2012 environmental impact statement documents

14th, street, bridges, this, article, about, bridge, complex, washington, metro, area, other, bridges, carrying, roads, named, 14th, street, 14th, street, bridge, disambiguation, refers, three, bridges, near, each, other, that, cross, potomac, river, connectin. This article is about the bridge complex in the Washington D C metro area For other bridges carrying roads named 14th Street see 14th Street Bridge disambiguation The 14th Street bridges refers to the three bridges near each other that cross the Potomac River connecting Arlington Virginia and Washington D C Sometimes the two nearby rail bridges are included as part of the 14th Street bridge complex A major gateway for automotive bicycle and rail traffic the bridge complex is named for 14th Street U S Route 1 which feeds automotive traffic into it on the D C end 14th Street bridgesA November 2013 photo of the 14th Street bridges with East Potomac Park the Tidal Basin and Washington Channel in the backgroundCoordinates38 52 34 N 77 02 28 W 38 876 N 77 041 W 38 876 77 041CarriesI 395 US 1 Amtrak VRE CSXCrossesPotomac RiverLocaleWashington D C Other name s Arland D Williams Jr Memorial BridgeRochambeau BridgeGeorge Mason Memorial BridgeHistoryOpened1904 1983LocationThe complex contains three four lane automobile bridges including from west to east one southbound one bi directional and one northbound that carry Interstate 395 I 395 and U S Route 1 US 1 traffic as well as a bicycle and pedestrian lane on the southbound bridge 1 In addition the complex contains two rail bridges one of which carries the Yellow Line of the Washington Metro the other of which the only mainline rail crossing of the Potomac River to Virginia carries a CSX Transportation rail line The five bridges from west to east are the George Mason Memorial Bridge the Rochambeau Bridge the Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge the Charles R Fenwick Bridge and the Long Bridge In aerial photos shadows caused by a large concrete divider on the bi directional Rochambeau Bridge create the illusion of two two lane bridges but this is in fact a single four lane structure At the north end of the bridges in East Potomac Park the three roadways connect to a pair of two way bridges over the Washington Channel into downtown Washington one six lane connecting to traffic including northbound US 1 north onto 14th Street and the other an eight lane bridge connecting to I 395 traffic on the Southwest Freeway The Metro line connects to a tunnel in the East Potomac Park and the main line railroad from the Long Bridge passes over I 395 and runs over the Washington Channel just downstream of the 14th Street approach before turning northeast along the line of Maryland Avenue On January 13 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 clipped the 14th Street Bridge the northbound I 395 span of the complex during rush hour and crashed into the Potomac River this killed four people on the bridge along with 74 passengers and crew on the aircraft The repaired span was renamed in honor of Arland D Williams Jr a passenger on the plane who survived the initial crash but drowned after repeatedly passing a helicopter rescue line to other survivors Contents 1 Bridges 2 History 2 1 Long Bridge 2 2 Highway Bridge 2 3 Pontoon Bridge 2 4 Modern 14th Street Bridges 2 4 1 Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge 2 4 2 George Mason Memorial Bridge 2 4 3 Rochambeau Bridge 2 4 4 Charles R Fenwick Bridge 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksBridges edit nbsp 14th Street bridges in March 2020 Looking NW at VirginiaEach of the complex s five bridge spans has its own name From east to west the bridges are The 1904 rebuilt c 1943 Long Bridge carries CSX Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express rail traffic over the river The name was derived from its planned size and not as a memorial to any particular individual 2 The 1983 Charles R Fenwick Bridge named for the Virginia state senator who helped create the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority carries the Yellow Line of the Washington Metro across the river 3 The northbound span was originally named the 14th Street Bridge when it opened in 1950 renamed the Rochambeau Bridge eight years later and renamed the Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge in 1983 inconsistent for a passenger of Air Florida Flight 90 who died saving others from the freezing water 4 At that time the Rochambeau Bridge name was moved to the previously unnamed center bridge which opened in 1971 and carries traffic in both directions 5 The southbound span opened in 1962 is named the George Mason Memorial Bridge A side path is on the upstream side of the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists 6 nbsp 14th Street bridge in February 2014 Looking East at Washington DC nbsp 14th Street bridges In December 2016 Looking N up the Potomac River nbsp Northbound Yellow Line train on Fenwick Bridge in December 2014 nbsp Through truss swing span of Long Bridge 2010 nbsp Southbound Virginia Railway Express train on plate girder portion of Long Bridge 2013 nbsp A panoramic view including all five spans George Mason and Rochambeau Bridges left background Williams Bridge left foreground Fenwick Bridge right foreground and Long Bridge right background History editLong Bridge edit nbsp 1818 map shows the Washington Bridge here labeled the Potomac Bridge between the words Potomac and River Further information Long Bridge Potomac River The name Long Bridge was given to a series of bridges across the Potomac dating back to 1809 At times some of the bridges were referred to as the Bridge at 14th Street but more often by other names The first bridge opened as the Washington Bridge on May 20 1809 and originally carried vehicle pedestrian and horse traffic By the 1830s it began to be called the long Bridge across the Potomac to distinguish it from the bridge near Little Falls 7 8 but over time the colloquial name was shortened to just the Long Bridge Rails had been built to the bridge from the Washington side in 1855 and from the Virginia side in 1857 but there weren t placed on the bridge until the Civil War 9 In 1864 a new bridge was built adjacent to the original bridge When the U S Military railroad Charles Minot fell through one of the spans of the old bridge on February 18 1865 the rails were moved to the new bridge and the old bridge became used for non rail traffic only as had been recommended in the prior year 10 11 12 To some the old bridge became the turnpike bridge and the new one the railroad bridge 13 For others the two bridges were referred to separately as the Long Bridge and the railroad bridge or as two parts of one Long Bridge 14 An October 1 1870 flood damaged the bridges beyond repair so a replacement bridge was built over the next two years and the old Washington Bridge was removed 13 15 16 The new bridge opened on May 15 1872 The day the new bridge opened the old railroad bridge which had been partially repaired was closed 17 16 On July 2 the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railway opened providing the first direct all rail connection between the north and Richmond Virginia 18 Despite the new design the 1872 bridge continued to be damaged by freshets it blocked river traffic and was not wide enough for two tracks 19 so two new bridges were built A new railroad bridge was constructed in 1904 and a new Highway Bridge opened in December 1906 The 1872 bridge was closed on December 18 1906 and demolished in 1907 20 21 22 23 nbsp Highway Bridge left and Long Bridge in 1919 nbsp Aerial view of the 14th Street Bridges in 1965 with the old Highway Bridge still in place The current railroad bridge opened on August 28 1904 about 150 feet 45 m upriver from the old bridge 24 2 In the early years the bridge was often referred to as the Railroad Bridge to distinguish it from Highway Bridge It was also sometimes known as the 14th Street Railroad Bridge It wasn t until the 1980s during planning of the Virginia Railway Express VRE system that the railroad bridge again began to be called by the old Long Bridge name VRE began using the bridge in 1992 The bridge was substantially reconstructed starting in mid 1942 with 11 new supplemental piers between the original truss spans and steel plate girders replacing the iron and steel truss spans 25 Work completed on November 9 1943 When the Mason Bridge was completed in 1962 it put an end to almost all use of the Long Bridge s draw span 26 The last time it was opened was March 1969 to allow barges used in the removal of the old Highway Bridge to pass through The tender s control house or shanty on top of the draw remained often used as a billboard for Georgetown crew races until it was removed in late 1982 or early 1983 27 The bridge was rehabilitated in 2016 and CSX determined that it was sufficient to meet their freight needs but in 2019 DDOT and FRA reported that a second bridge was needed to serve increased passenger rail needs A third bridge was also proposed to create a new bicycle pedestrian crossing 28 In 2019 Virginia announced that they would pay to build a new rail bridge over the Potomac River north of the Long Bridge 29 Highway Bridge edit nbsp Highway Bridge between 1906 and 1932 nbsp Looking towards Highway Bridge and Washington in 1932A new swing span through truss bridge called the Highway Bridge or sometimes the 14th Street Bridge 500 feet 150 m upriver from the Long Bridge opened December 15 1906 to serve streetcars and other non railroad traffic 20 30 The yellow trolleys of the Mount Vernon Railway used the bridge until 1932 when the line was replaced by buses that eventually became part of the Alexandria Barcroft and Washington AB amp W Transit Company 31 After the George Mason Bridge was opened in 1962 the Highway Bridge was closed but there was considerable discussion of reusing the Highway Bridge perhaps for rush hour only automobile traffic Nonetheless the Highway Bridge was finally removed from the site in 1967 1968 32 33 and was taken to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division for bombing practice In order to remove the Highway Bridge piers the Williams and Long Bridges were opened for the last time on March 3 1969 They were opened to remove barge and crane equipment that had been floated upriver in 1967 to remove the old Highway Bridge piers and install new center bridge piers A few years prior to 1967 the railroad bridge had been welded shut and in order to open it for the crane that had to be reversed 32 Pontoon Bridge edit On July 1 1942 after two months of work the War Department opened a pontoon bridge located between the Railroad and Highway bridges It connected Ohio Drive then Riverside Drive to US Highway 1 The bridge was constructed of 30 plank covered pontoons with an asphalt coating for the 12 foot wide floor A fixed steel span on the Virginia side provided an opening 30 feet wide and 21 feet high for boats to pass under Two more fixed spans carried it over the George Washington Parkway The bridge was built for emergency movement of troops and though it was to allow for civilian use it never did 34 Once World War II was over the bridge was removed in the summer of 1945 35 Modern 14th Street Bridges edit nbsp The Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge as seen from a Yellow Line train on the Washington Metro Charles R Fenwick Bridge Despite the different names of the Rochambeau Mason and Williams bridge and the fact that there were all built separately the three are often called The 14th Street Bridge together Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge edit Planning for a replacement of the Highway Bridge started in the 1940s to deal with expanded traffic in the automobile age 36 Work on a new single span northbound only 14th Street Bridge began on August 21 1947 and the new bridge opened on May 9 1950 with the ribbon cut by Miss D C Mary Jane Hayes 37 38 The Highway Bridge then became southbound only but a 2nd bridge was planned to replace it 39 The new bridge span incorporated draw spans with a control houses that was designed to complement those on the Arlington Memorial Bridge upstream and on the railroad bridge s swing span downstream In 1956 while planning the Jones Point Bridge Congress began to debate what to name it While one of the first suggestions was to name it after Woodrow Wilson which eventually it was Rep Joel Broyhill R VA suggested naming it for George Mason or failing that naming the new Highway Bridge for him 40 This prompted a letter to the editor of the Washington Post suggested it be named for revolutionary war hero Lafayette since it was near where he led soldiers across the river on the way to Yorktown 41 A few days later Charles Parmer a Rochambeau enthusiast and head of Virginia s short lived Rochambeau Commission suggested the bridge instead be named for Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur comte de Rochambeau 42 43 Another letter followed that suggested attaching the name Rochambeau instead to the 14th Street Bridge and that letter caught the attention of Congress member Harry F Byrd of Virginia who submitted it to the Congressional Record 44 45 Broyhill submitted a bill naming the bridge for Mason and Byrd submitted one naming it for Rochambeau and by the middle of summer a compromise had been worked out naming one span for each 46 Broyhill resubmitted the compromise bill in 1957 and it passed 47 48 The new bridge was dedicated in honor of Rochambeau on October 19 1958 at 2pm at time and date meant to correspond with the time and date that Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1781 49 The last time Williams Bridge was opened was on March 3 1969 to remove barge and crane equipment that had been floated upriver in 1967 to remove the old Highway Bridge piers and install new center bridge piers The Williams bridge underwent extensive repair in 1975 1976 which resulted in a closure of more than a year Workers gave the bridge a new deck removed the bascule draw span and replaced the sidewalks with shoulders 50 The control house remained On January 13 1982 the Williams Bridge was damaged by the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 The Boeing 737 222 which had accumulated ice while idling on the runway at National Airport stalled soon after takeoff fell on the bridge and slammed into the iced over Potomac River The crash killed 74 passengers and crew plus four people in cars on the bridge The repaired span was renamed the Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge on March 13 1985 following a December 4 1984 vote after one of the passengers who passed a lifeline to five survivors before permitting himself to be rescued He succumbed to hypothermia and drowned while rescuers worked to rescue the last of the survivors The name Rochambeau Bridge was then shifted to the Center Highway Bridge 51 After a series of inspections from 2005 to 2009 the District of Columbia s District Department of Transportation DDOT began a 27 million rehabilitation of the northbound main span in 2010 Construction scheduled to last only a few months was finally completed in 2011 A 2014 inspection found more problems Citing the expense and the need to replace or repair several deficient bridges elsewhere in the District DDOT pushed the date for fixing these problems to 2020 52 On April 13 2023 DDOT announced the US Department of Transportation had provided 72 million to help fund the rehabilitation project The 90 million project which will also be funded in part by the D C government would start with preliminary engineering and the environmental review for the project later that spring with the preliminary design expected to be completed that fall Construction is estimated to take two years 53 George Mason Memorial Bridge edit The new George Mason Memorial Bridge opened upstream on January 26 1962 replacing the old Highway Bridge then southbound only 54 The Mason Bridge unlike the bridges upstream and downstream could not open for river traffic thus Potomac River traffic by sea going vessels traveling above the Long Bridge ceased in 1961 During the late 1960s new ramps were constructed between the westbound Shirley Highway and the southbound George Washington Parkway and these eliminated the path between the bridge and the Pentagon In 1969 the path was connected to the Arlington Memorial Bridge via the Lady Bird Trail and on April 15 1972 it was connected to Alexandria via the Mount Vernon Trail of which the Lady Bird Trail became part In 1984 the Mason Bridge was closed for several months for a 5 9 million overhaul The bridge was resurfaced and widened to provide shoulders The sidewalk was widened and new safety railings were installed between the walkway and the roadway 55 56 On July 25 1989 the George Mason Bridge gained national notoriety as the scene of the 1989 DC Prostitute Expulsion In late 2018 the National Park Service rebuilt and improved the trail ramp between the George Mason Bridge path and East Basin Drive 57 Rochambeau Bridge edit nbsp The Rochambeau bridge under constructionOn April 5 1971 a third bridge opened immediately downstream of the Mason Bridge carrying two express lanes in each direction 5 58 Work began in March 1967 but wasn t entirely completed until 1972 The express lanes lead directly to the high occupancy vehicle lanes on Virginia s section of I 395 though these lanes are only HOV during rush hour At the time it opened it was only open for bus traffic making it the longest exclusive busway in the Country but over the years the express lane rules have gradually been reduced 59 In late 1973 carpoolers were allowed to use the bus lanes during rush hour if the car had at least four passengers 60 In 1975 cars with four passengers were allowed to use the express lanes at all hours 61 In 1983 Congress passed a law to open the express lanes to all vehicles except during rush hour when they were restricted to buses car pools and emergency vehicles and that went into effect in 1985 62 63 In 1987 due to increased congestion the Virginia Department of Transportation extended the HOV end time from 6pm to 6 30pm but later that year it was rolled back after Rep Stan Parris passed a federal law that would deny Virginia 2 4 million if the rush hour extension remained 64 In the same year the VDOT opened the northbound HOV lanes on the bridge to all users to alleviate congestion caused by reconstruction of the SE SW Freeway 65 In early 1989 Virginia in a deal with Rep Parris lowered the HOV restrictions from four people per vehicle to three in order to regain control over the management of the HOV lanes 66 67 In late 2019 the HOV lanes on 395 changed to High Occupancy Toll HOT lanes and as a result the northbound lane on the Rochambeau Bridge became a HOT lane as well 68 When it opened the bridge was known as the Center Highway Bridge On March 13 1985 following the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash the downstream bridge was renamed the Arland D Williams Jr Memorial Bridge to honor one of the passengers who died saving the lives of other survivors during the crash The name Rochambeau was simultaneously transferred to the Center Highway Bridge However the bronze marker naming the bridge was not shifted with the name 51 Charles R Fenwick Bridge edit The final bridge the Charles R Fenwick Bridge carrying the Yellow Line opened on April 30 1983 69 70 Based on the recommendation of Washington Post reporter Jack Eisen the bridge was named for Fenwick by the Metro Board on September 22 1983 Fenwick was a Virginia state legislator from the Washington suburbs who sponsored legislation to create Metro He died in 1968 71 See also edit nbsp Transport portal nbsp Engineering portal nbsp Virginia portal nbsp United States portal List of crossings of the Potomac River Bridge Tender s House artwork an installation on the bridge s old watchtower List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Washington D C References edit Virginia Freeway HOV Lanes Roads To The Future Retrieved July 15 2009 a b Cohen Robert 2013 History of the Long Railroad Bridge Crossing Across the Potomac River DC Chapter National Railway Historical Society Archived from the original on February 2 2014 Retrieved July 29 2014 Kelly John February 13 2006 Answer Man Opening Up About Bridges The Washington Post Bridge Renamed For Air Crash Hero The Washington Post March 14 1985 a b New Shirley Bus Lane To Be Opened in April The Evening Star March 17 1971 To bike across the Potomac most use the 14th Street Bridge or Key Bridge Greater Greater Washington Retrieved October 31 2018 Potomac Bridge Virginia free press amp farmers repository March 10 1831 An Act Concerning the Potomac bridge and the Centre market Retrieved December 6 2019 Timeline of Washington D C Railroad History Archived from the original on June 21 2011 Retrieved December 6 2019 United States War Department 1900 The War of the Rebellion A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Washington DC U S Government Printing Office p 974 Retrieved December 6 2019 District Matters in Congress The Evening Star December 9 1964 Long Bridge Alexandria Gazette February 25 1865 a b Five Hundred Feet of the Long Bridge Gone Evening Star October 1 1870 The Long Bridge and the Improvement of the Channel Evening Star February 9 1867 The Long Bridge Evening Star October 21 1871 a b The Long Bridge The Evening Star November 19 1870 A amp W R R Alexandria Gazette May 15 1872 PRR Chronology July 2 1872 Report of the Secretary of War Washington DC Government Printing Office 1893 p Appendix J a b GOOD BY LONG BRIDGE The Washington Post December 17 1906 Long Bridge Closed The Washington Post December 19 1906 Long Bridge is Going The Washington Post January 27 1907 Notice to Mariners The Evening Star December 13 1907 CROSS ON NEW BRIDGE The Washington Post August 29 1904 Smith Pushes New Crossings Of Potomac The Washington Post October 1 1941 Potomac s Lift Spans On Way Out The Washington Post October 12 1955 Eisen Jack January 29 1983 Long Bridge Shanty Razed The Washington Post Long Bridge Project Draft EIS Executive Summary PDF Retrieved January 8 2020 Lazo Luz December 19 2019 Virginia to build Long Bridge and acquire CSX right of way to expand passenger train service Retrieved January 8 2020 William H Rehnquist Remarks at the Arlington Historical Society Banquet Archived September 24 2015 at the Wayback Machine April 27 2001 Retrieved January 25 2008 Eisen Jack January 13 1957 Bridges of Washington Steeped in Historic Past The Washington Post a b Old Bridge Awaits Wreckers The Washington Post March 29 1967 Part of Ohio Drive Closed to Traffic The Washington Post March 5 1968 14th Street Floating Bridge Completed Civilian Traffic to Have Use of Bridge by End of the Month The Washington Post July 2 1942 End of a War Landmark The Evening Star August 21 1945 A New Highway Bridge The Evening Star June 20 1943 Lyons Richard May 10 1950 Highway Span Opens Does Its Job Bit Too Well The Washington Post Work Is Begun On Potomac s Twin Bridges The Washington Post August 22 1947 Potomac Highway Bridge Opening Ceremony Today The Washington Post May 9 1950 p 1 Name Contest Develops On Jones Point Bridge The Washington Post March 9 1956 Spratt Zack March 22 1956 Letter to the Editor 1 The Washington Post Parmer Charles April 3 1956 Naming the Bridge The Washington Post THE WASHINGTON ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND Retrieved January 16 2020 Glasgow Susie P April 15 1965 Rochambeau Bridge The Washington Post Gaitskell May Shed Light M Carthy Sees It Worries for Rabb Byrd s Economy in Words The Washington Post May 14 1956 Drawbridge Over Roosevelt Island Recommended by District Committee The Washington Post July 6 1956 71 Stat 256 Retrieved January 21 2020 Senate Passes Bill To Name Bridge The Washington Post May 17 1957 Span Dedication Set for Oct 19 The Washington Post September 16 1958 p B1 14th Street Span Named Rochambeau The Washington Post October 20 1958 p B1 Feaver Douglas September 15 1975 Four Bridges to Be Restored Resurfacing Set For Four Bridges The Washington Post a b Eisen Jack December 23 1983 Honor for Hero Urged The Washington Post p C2 Eisen Jack January 15 1985 Bridging a Dilemma The Washington Post p B2 Dildine Dave June 25 2015 DDOT details area s structurally deficient bridges WTOP Retrieved September 1 2015 Drain Aja April 13 2023 DC s 14th Street Bridge To Get Overhaul Thanks To Federal Grant DCist Archived from the original on April 26 2023 Retrieved April 26 2023 Schuette Paul January 27 1962 George Mason Bridge Opened to Traffic The Washington Post p C2 Lyton Stephen June 6 1984 14th St Bridge Detours Planned The Washington Post Traffic Shifts Set for Weekend on 14th Street Bridge The Washington Post November 10 1984 NationalMallNPS September 14 2018 Trail to 14th Street reroute Tweet via Twitter The Obsolete Turn The Washington Post April 1 1971 10 Mile Lane To Open for Buses in Va The Washington Post April 4 1971 Shaffer Ron December 9 1973 Bus Lanes on Shirley Highway Open Monday to Car Pools The Washington Post Feaver Douglas B October 19 1975 14th St Lane Open to Car Pools The Washington Post Lynton Stephen J December 1 1983 Traffic Woes Forecast On 14th Street Bridge The Washington Post Fishman Charles March 14 1985 Shirley Hwy Restriction Ends April 1 The Washington Post Melton R H April 17 1987 HOV Hours On I 395 Reduced The Washington Post Schaffer Ron August 1 1991 HOV Lanes Revisited The Washington Post Melton R H July 22 1988 Va Agrees To Ease HOV Rule The Washington Post Bates Steve January 4 1989 ife in the HOV Lane Trooper s Bag of Tricks The Washington Post Smith Max November 18 2019 I 395 toll lane FAQ What to know about the new Express Lanes Retrieved February 11 2020 Washington D C Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society Washington D C Railroad History Archived from the original on April 21 2006 Retrieved April 26 2006 Eisen Jack May 1 1983 Soaring on the Yellow Line The Washington Post Eisen Jack September 23 1983 A Regionalist Is Honored The Washington Post External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to wbr 14th Street Bridge and wbr Long Bridge Roads to the Future 14th Street Bridge Complex I 395 and US 1 Cohen Robert 2003 History of the Long Railroad Bridge Crossing Across the Potomac River Washington D C Washington Chapter National Railway Historical Society Archived from the original on February 2 2014 Retrieved February 3 2014 PRR Chronology Archived December 22 2013 at the Wayback Machine Historic American Engineering Record HAER No DC 50 Long Bridge Spanning Potomac River near Jefferson Memorial Washington District of Columbia DC Long Bridge at Structurae Federal 2012 environmental impact statement documents Portals nbsp Transport nbsp Engineering nbsp Roads nbsp Trains nbsp United States Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 14th Street bridges amp oldid 1164340798, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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