A proposed bicycle and pedestrian crossing that would create a walkable connection from Northern Virginia’s growing Crystal City neighborhood to the District’s Southwest Waterfront area is getting a $20 million federal grant.
In Southeast Washington, a long-planned 3.8-mile trail off South Capitol Street is getting $10 million, just under half the project’s budget. Across the Maryland line, Prince George’s County is securing $20.5 million to enhance bus connections, add sidewalks and bike lanes, and improve access to the New Carrollton station.
The projects are among five in the greater Washington region receiving nearly $60 million in federal funding under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program.
“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernising America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
The project, in the early stage of design, will connect Long Bridge Park in Arlington and East Potomac Park in the District. Recently unveiled concepts show a bridge with a deck about 14-feet wide, aligned about 25 feet north of the proposed new Long Bridge.
Once built, the bridge will create a “safe, direct, and a more pleasant experience,” said Michael McLaughlin, the rail authority’s chief operating officer.
Work on the trail is expected to begin next year. The remaining funding will come from a mix of federal and local funding sources, city officials said.
