District Department of Transportation (DDOT) officials say construction is scheduled to start later this month on an estimated $22 million project to replace the damaged Lane Place bridge.
The work on the pedestrian bridge over Route 295 in the Northeast will last about a year. The new structure replaces a span that collapsed after it was struck by a truck about two years ago.
The new bridge will be taller, wider and include access ramps that comply with federal accessibility requirements, officials said.
DDOT director Everett Lott said the bridge will be part of investments to build a more connected city.
“For the past several months, we have been very intentional and committed to working alongside the community throughout the design process,” Lott said in a statement.
The bridge, connecting the Kenilworth and Eastland Gardens neighborhoods to Deanwood, collapsed after a Mack truck — traveling southbound with its subframe raised — struck the footbridge, causing the structure to come loose, officials said. The collapse left the truck trapped beneath the structure and led to a chain of crashes involving three other vehicles. Five people suffered injuries that weren’t life-threatening, The Washington Post has reported.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser ordered the use of $1.5 million in emergency funds to expedite design work for the new bridge following the June 23, 2021 collapse. The District also received $1 million in federal emergency funds to cover costs associated with the original bridge’s demolition, cleanup and repairs.
