Whitney Young Memorial Bridge

Whitney Young Memorial Bridge
The Whitney Young Bridge from the south in 2015
Coordinates38°53′23″N 76°57′54″W / 38.889764°N 76.964979°W / 38.889764; -76.964979
CarriesMotor vehicles, pedestrians
CrossesAnacostia River
LocaleWashington, D.C., U.S.
Official nameWhitney M. Young, Jr. Memorial Bridge
Other name(s)East Capitol Street Bridge
Maintained byDistrict of Columbia Department of Transportation
Preceded byEthel Kennedy Bridge
Followed byJohn Philip Sousa Bridge
Characteristics
DesignPlate girder bridge
Total length1,910 feet (580 m)[1]
Width86 feet (26 m)[2]
History
DesignerJ.E. Greiner Company of Baltimore, MD
OpenedNovember 10, 1955; 69 years ago (1955-11-10)
Statistics
Daily traffic66,200 vehicles per day (1996)[2]
TollFree both ways
Location
Map

The Whitney Young Memorial Bridge is a bridge that carries East Capitol Street across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. in the United States. Finished in 1955, it was originally called the East Capitol Street Bridge. It was renamed for civil rights activist Whitney Young in early 1974.[3][4] The bridge is 1,800 feet (550 m) long, its six lanes are 82 feet (25 m) wide, and it has 15 spans resting on 14 piers.[5][6]

  1. ^ "File #4822: "East Capitol Street Bridge 001"". Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b 2009 Data. National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration. United States Department of Transportation. 2009. Accessed 2010-07-05.
  3. ^ Bowman, LaBarbara. "Calvert St. Span Renamed for Ellington." The Washington Post. December 12, 1974.
  4. ^ Some sources say the renaming came in 1973. See: Kelly, John F. "Bridges Carry Bits of History Along With the Traffic." The Washington Post. April 21, 2005.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Opens was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Shape was invoked but never defined (see the help page).