is for a long through arch bridge consisting of three sets of parallel white arches. The bridge will have six traffic lanes, and a joint bicycle-pedestrian path on either side of the bridge deck. At both ends of the bridge there will be an esplanade run under the bridge and along the Anacostia River as well as a community park. Construction The bridge is the biggest public works project in the history of the District of Columbia, and employed more than 1,300 workers at the height of construction. The federal government contributed more than $200 million towards the bridge's cost. In 2019 cost of just the bridge was estimated at $480 million. Work began on the bridge in 2018, in sync with the commemoration of the bicentennial of Fredrick Douglass' birth. It was half finished in 2019, with completion expected in 2021. In a news release in February 2021, Mayor Bowser announced that the bridge was projected to open on October 1. On September 6, 2021, a 5K run was held over the new bridge as part of a ceremony that celebrated its imminent completion. As part of that ceremony, it was announced that the bridge would open to outbound vehicles on September 10, with the inbound lanes opening the next day. Both directions opened on schedule, and the old bridge is scheduled for dismantling once all remaining work is complete. Nighttime closures of the new bridge for up to 15 minutes at a time were scheduled every weekday from September 15 to 29 so crews can finish up construction and conduct tests. Gallery See also Architecture of Washington, D.C. References External links DDOT's Frederick Douglass Bridge Project web site South Capitol Street Today - Chapter 2 Discusses the bridge and its construction 1950 establishments in Washington, D.C. Bridges completed in 1950 Bridges over the Anacostia River Road bridges in Washington, D.C. Southeast (Washington, D.C.) Southwest Waterfront Swing bridges in the United States Bridges completed in 2021 Through arch bridges in the United States 2021 establishments in Washington, D.C.