On Labor Day, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will celebrate the opening of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (100 Potomac Avenue SW) starting this Labor Day.
The two-day celebration will kick off Monday, Sept. 6 with a 5K and community celebration with food, live entertainment, and fun for residents of all ages. On Tuesday, Sept. 7, Mayor Bowser will join federal partners, members of the Douglass family and other invited guests and dignitaries for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge deck at 11 a.m..
Bowser invited residents from across all eight wards to celebrate the bridge opening with a day of family-friendly fun, food, and live music.
“It is only fitting that we come together to celebrate a bridge that will connect our city and pay tribute to a great Washingtonian,” said Bowser. “The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is the biggest infrastructure project in the history of Washington, DC, and it represents the best of our city’s past and future.”
Residents are encouraged to begin registering for the 5K fun run, and they can do so here.
“After three years of hard work and incredible progress, we are excited to celebrate this important milestone with everyone who made this day possible,” said Acting DDOT Director Everett Lott. “The 5K and community celebration offer residents unprecedented access to the new bridge before it opens to vehicles.”
In February 2018, DDOT broke ground on the South Capitol Street Project to replace the existing Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and reconstruct the Suitland Parkway/I-295 interchange. The new bridge will open to vehicular traffic during the week of September 6. DDOT expects the entire project to be complete in Spring 2022, once the old bridge is deconstructed and the new interchange is complete.
For more information about the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, visit newfrederickdouglassbridge.com.
Monday 5K/Community Day Event Schedule
- 7:30 a.m.: T-Shirt Pick-up at Audi Field. All registered 5K participants will receive a commemorative logo t-shirt.
- 9:00 a.m.: The 5K Fun Run/Walk. The fun run/walk will kick off from the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.
- 10:00 a.m.: Community Day Celebration. After the 5K, Mayor Bowser and the District Department of Transportation will host a community celebration.
Access via public transportation, cycling or walking is highly encouraged –the Mets play the Nationals in DC at 1:05 p.m. Sept. 6.
For more details and to register for the 5K Fun Run and Community Day please click here. To register for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony visit https://www.newfrederickdouglassbridge.com/so.
