11th Street Bridges - History

History

The first bridge across the Anacostia River in this area was the Eastern Branch Bridge, a privately owned toll and drawbridge built between 1795 and 1800 about a quarter of a mile (0.4 kilometres) upstream from 11th Street SE (at the site of the current John Philip Sousa Bridge). The Eastern Branch Bridge was blown up and partially burned by retreating American soldiers in August 1814 during the War of 1812. It was rebuilt, but burned completely in August 1846. In 1820, the privately owned "Upper Navy Yard Bridge" was built over the Anacostia River at 11th Street SE. Also a toll bridge, this second bridge became a "free" bridge in 1848 after it was purchased by the federal government. From the city's founding until 1854, the area known today as Anacostia was primarily sparsely populated farmland. But Anacostia was platted in 1854, and development slowly began to turn the agricultural land into businesses and residences. The destruction of the Eastern Branch Bridge in 1846, however, significantly slowed growth in the area for five decades.

A second bridge was built in the same location in 1872-1873. This bridge was replaced in 1905-1907 by a stronger, wider span (the "Anacostia Bridge") which accommodated streetcars. It was this span which the Bonus Army fled across on July 28, 1932, when attacked by the United States Army.

The 1907 span was replaced by a modern structure four-lane bridge carrying one-way northbound traffic in 1965 as part of the development of the "Inner Loop" (see below). A second four-lane bridge was added in 1970, with one-way traffic over the span of each bridge. Both are beam bridges: " are two-girder systems with steel composite construction and a central drop-in span on pin supports. The main girders are riveted and welded, and both have reinforced wall type piers with granite facing, supported by steel H piles." Each span is about 63 feet (19.2 metres) wide. Each bridge has roughly five sections—four sections of about 170 feet (51.85 m) in length, with a center section about 234 feet (71.4 m) in length. Both spans are considered "fracture critical," which means that if one girder in the span fails the entire bridge is likely to collapse.