Imagine a Boulevard

Bridge Connecting Southeast Blvd to New Parkway

Today, there is a long stretch between Pennsylvania Avenue and E Capitol St without a connection over the Anacostia River. While there is a CSX railroad bridge around where Massachusetts Avenue meets 30th St SE, there are no opportunities for vehicles, pedestrians, or people on bicycles to cross. Additionally, the existing CSX railroad bridge is extremely low new and prevents any boat larger than a canoe from crossing. The conversion of DC-295 into a boulevard could present an opportunity to address this gap with a new bridge that connects the boulevard to Southeast Blvd west of the river. A new elevated bridge that carries the CSX rail and the boulevard could not only increase the accessibility of D.C. to nearby residents but also allow boats to move up and down the river again. Like other segments of the boulevard, the new bridge should make space for people without a car, and feature wide sidewalks like D.C.’s Frederick Douglass Bridge and dedicated lanes for cyclists.

• Splits off from the parkway segment and connects to Southeast Blvd west of the river

• Runs parallel to the CSX rail bridge

• Two lanes of vehicle traffic each way

• Wide sidewalks on both sides to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists