30 years ago, in 1993, the Washington Post published an article about future planning for Washington, D.C., which featured reconstructing the SW-SE Freeway, removing the surface and elevated highway and submerging a replacement expressway within a new tunnel.
Illustration from the Washington Post, 1993
Yet, D.C. Department of Public Works is now embarking upon a project to reconstruct the existing horrifically blighting elevated facility. See: https://seswbridges.ddot.dc.gov/
DDOT is planning to rehabilitate the SE/SW Freeway (I-695) Bridges, which comprise the elevated interstate of I-695 over South Capitol Street SW, New Jersey Avenue SE, and Virginia Avenue SE / 2nd Street SE, along with the associated ramps. This series of bridges were built from 1958 to 1963 and rehabilitated in 1991. Due to the age of the bridges and continued deterioration to some elements, the main objective will be to rehabilitate the bridges and update key features to further extend their service life. Additional improvements to lighting, signing, lane striping, and drainage will be incorporated in conjunction with the bridge rehabilitations.
What gives? If Boston, Massachusetts could have it Central Artery/3rd Harbor Tunnel project - the "Big Dig" - approved way back in 1986, started circa 1991, and completed about 2005, why can't Washington, D.C., our nations capital, have its project to replace its disgusting, badly designed, no safety shoulder 1959-67 SW-SE Freeway likewise replaced?
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