23
surprised if you don’t recognize the views of, or from, some of them. After all, pedestrians get a whole new perspective. But give it a shot anyway.
G H E
F 5 WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE steel continu-
mile (2,916 feet) Arlington and
walkway of the e south end of velt Island park- dy Center plaza. a side, from the Key Bridge, a er the George ay and leads nd of the Roose- ot.
free two-hour evelt Island lot, from the park- In the District, Metro stop is om the bridge; two-hour me- eets around the
LADEN BRIDGE, nd Route 50 be- he District, is a al to a conserva- never notice it he bridge offers atural beauty of Island’s tidal t’s hard to find
Kennedy Center m-weather boat and from the ont.
TYPE: Bascule, or draw, bridge LENGTH: 1.1 miles (about 5,808 feet) CONNECTING: Carries 12 lanes of I-95/ I-495 traffic across the Potomac be- tween Alexandria and Oxon Hill ACCESS: From South Washington and Church streets in Alexandria, or from National Harbor in Oxon Hill PARKING: On the Alexandria side, there is free parking on South Wash- ington and Church streets. On the Maryland side, there are paid park- ing garages at National Harbor and a waterfront parking lot.
6
A BRIDGE EXPERT once said the old Wilson Bridge “doesn’t even deserve the term ‘ugly.’ ” That was then. To- day’s higher, sleeker bridge offers the newest Potomac River pedestri- an crossing, which opened in June 2009, with some unexpected fea- tures. A 12-foot-wide walkway on the upstream side gives cyclists, jog- gers and pedestrians room to ma- neuver around one another. Three bump-outs on the bridge — each with telescopes and historical signs and two with benches — offer broad views of Alexandria’s waterfront and distant D.C. monuments. At the Virginia end, a barrier be-
tween traffic and the walkway tones down the noise considerably as you cross above St. Mary’s cemetery and Jones Point Park. On the Maryland side, the well- landscaped overpass offers sculp- tured seat boulders and interpretive signs about Prince George’s County communities. (An additional 11
miles of paths wind through Poto- mac River Park and around Smoot Bay.)
I OTHER VISTAS
DUKE ELLINGTON AND WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT BRIDGES
7 8 9
FRANCIS CASE MEMORIAL BRIDGE
TYPE: Three-span reinforced-con- crete arch bridge (Ellington), seven- span unreinforced-concrete arch bridge (Taft) LENGTH: Two-tenths of a mile (1,056 feet, Ellington), three-tenths of a mile (1,584 feet, Taft) CONNECTING: The bridges carry Cal- vert Street and Connecticut Avenue NW, respectively, over Rock Creek Park. ACCESS: City sidewalks lead directly to these bridges. PARKING: Metered street parking These two short bridges are per-
pendicular to each other and only three-tenths of a mile apart. Both of- fer panoramic views over Rock Creek Park. The Ellington Bridge was named for Washington’s home- grown composer and jazz bandlead- er; the Taft, for our 27th president.
IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY, you can enjoy the summer sea of greenery below or, in fall, what a commenter on an online hiking forum called “a river of flame.” Even though Ellington’s safety
⁄2
railing extends over your head, there are several bump-outs on ei- ther side where you can poke a cam- era lens between the stanchions to get panoramic photos. The Taft Bridge is recognizable by its concrete lion statues and eagle- topped lampposts and provides un- obstructed views over the treetops. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
TYPE: Seventeen-span steel continu- ous-girder bridge LENGTH: About one-third of a mile (1,578 feet) CONNECTING: Carries I-395 across Washington Channel; feeds into Southwest Freeway ACCESS: East Potomac Park (next to the tennis bubble or across from the National Park Service headquarters parking lot) or from L’Enfant Plaza PARKING: Free parking along Ohio Drive SW near the tennis center. The L’Enfant Plaza Metro stop is about a half-mile away.
When driving along this part of the Southwest Freeway, your views are of rusty railings. By foot, though, the view over the Washington Chan- nel and the enticements at each end are far more enjoyable.
FROM ABOVE EAST POTOMAC PARK, watch joggers and cyclists finishing the three-mile loop around Hains Point, or notice how high tides often cover the waterside sidewalk there. Get an early start to head across the river for a bird’s-eye view of bustling morning preparations at the Maine Avenue fish market. Whiffs of the day’s offerings often rise up to meet your nose. Fantasize about living aboard a boat at the Gangplank Ma- rina. Take a break at Benjamin Ban- neker Park’s fountain before stroll- ing to L’Enfant Plaza or along Maine Avenue. (The bridge is named for the South Dakota senator (1951-62), who was a proponent of more self- rule for the District.)
FREDERICK DOUGLASS MEMORIAL BRIDGE
TYPE: Steel-girder bridge with a swing-span over the navigation channel LENGTH: Just under one-third of a mile (1,564 feet) CONNECTING: Links Washington south of the Capitol with Anacostia ACCESS: From Nationals Park on the west side and from Anacostia Park, near Poplar Point, on the east PARKING: There are paid parking spots near Nationals Park. There’s free parking in Anacostia Park, just north of the bridge, on Anacostia Drive SE.
NAMED FOR THE ABOLITIONIST, this bridge (sometimes referred to as the South Capitol Street bridge) is where South Capitol crosses the Anacostia River and links the ball- park and Buzzard Point with Ana- costia. Architectural lighting and decorative railings were part of an extensive 2008 bridge renovation. The upstream side walkway offers
panoramic views of the Washington Navy Yard. The area between the ballpark and the river is in transi- tion and is slated to eventually be- come a riverfront park.
weekend@washpost.com
Siegal is a freelance writer.
PHOTOS BY ANN CAMERON SIEGAL; CHAIN BRIDGE: 2000 PHOTO BY JAMES A. PARCELL/THE WASHINGTON POST
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010
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