Reconstruction of anacostia AVE. Bridge over anacostia river outlet (bridge 78)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) awarded the District of Columbia Department of Public Works a $7.62 million formula grant under the Highway Planning and Construction program (CFDA 20.205) on September 12, 2025, to fund the reconstruction of Bridge 78, which carries Anacostia Avenue over the Anacostia River outlet in Washington, DC. The project will eliminate structural deficiencies, improve safety and accessibility, bring the structure to current design standards, and resolve vibration issues that have necessitated a 10 miles per hour speed restriction. The bridge, constructed approximately in 1984 and carrying significant truck traffic, requires this comprehensive reconstruction to replace ongoing maintenance efforts with a long-term structural solution. Work is expected to be completed by July 31, 2029.

This award leverages federal formula grant funding authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support highway and bridge infrastructure improvements on public roads. As a formula grant administered through the Federal-aid Highway Program, funding allocation reflects statutory distribution mechanisms to the District, with project oversight and execution managed by the District's transportation agency in coordination with FHWA's division office approval processes. The project encompasses bridge replacement and rehabilitation activities consistent with the Highway Planning and Construction program's eligible uses for transportation infrastructure preservation and safety enhancement.

Project description

Bridge 78 carries anacostia avenue over the anacostia river and primarily serves as access to a district department of public works (DPW) and NPS kenilworth maintenance yard. There is another project to connect benning road to foote ST. The bridge was constructed in AROUND1984 and carries 60% truck traffic. The bridge has a posted speed limit of 10 MPH due to the vibration issues on the structure. Ddot maintenance forces are constantly performing repairs on the structure and ddot requires a more long-term solution. The primary improvement goals of the bridge 78 reconstruction are to: • eliminate structural deficiencies, • improve safety and accessibility, • bring structure to current design standard, and • eliminate bridge vibration issues / speed restriction.