▁personally ▁test ified ▁before ▁the ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁and ▁the ▁Senate ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia . ▁Samuel ▁Taylor ▁Su it , ▁a ▁state ▁sen ator ▁in ▁the ▁Maryland ▁legisl ature , ▁won ▁passage ▁of ▁a ▁resolution ▁by ▁that ▁state ▁supporting ▁the ▁bridge . ▁These ▁efforts ▁proved ▁highly ▁successful . ▁Senator ▁Black burn ▁and ▁Represent ative ▁Row ell ▁won ▁a ▁$ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁amount ▁appropri ated ▁for ▁the ▁bridge , ▁and ▁inserted ▁language ▁into ▁the ▁bill ▁requiring ▁that ▁it ▁be ▁constructed ▁of ▁iron ▁and ▁be ▁set ▁on ▁stone ▁pi ers . ▁This ▁legisl ation ▁passed ▁both ▁ch amb ers ▁of ▁Congress ▁un anim ously ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁and ▁dedic ation ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁bridge ▁began ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁Comp lications ▁arose ▁when ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁and ▁Pot om ac ▁Rail road ▁( B & PR ), ▁whose ▁tracks ▁ran ▁along ▁the ▁north / e astern ▁shore ▁of ▁the ▁An ac ost ia ▁River , ▁su ed ▁the ▁federal ▁government . ▁The ▁B & PR ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁bridge ▁ab ut ment ▁enc ro ached ▁on ▁its ▁right - of - way , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁too ▁low ▁over ▁its ▁tracks . ▁The ▁case ▁drag ged ▁through ▁the ▁courts ▁for ▁a ▁year , ▁until ▁finally ▁a ▁court ▁r uling ▁resolved ▁the ▁issue : ▁The ▁rail road ▁agreed ▁to