DDOT plans to replace aging Arizona Avenue pedestrian bridge with prefabricated steel truss

At a virtual public meeting, District Department of Transportation (DDOT) staff and consultants said they will replace the pedestrian bridge over Arizona Avenue because it does not meet current clearance and condition standards and is near the end of its service life.

DDOT structural engineer Matt Waskowitz said the existing bridge was “constructed in the early 19 eighties” and that “the existing bridge's vertical clearance over Arizona Avenue is 14 foot 2 inches.” He told the meeting the DDOT standard is 17 feet 6 inches and that the bridge’s superstructure was rated a 5 — “fair condition” — in DDOT’s September 2024 inspection.

Project manager Girmaytus Michael and consultant team leader Peter Bonacorsi described the replacement as a prefabricated steel box truss main span with a concrete deck, 42-inch safety handrails, and mesh panels on the sides and top. The design includes new pedestrian access ramps configured to meet DDOT and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility guidelines.

“Because of the raised profile on the west end of the bridge, a longer ramp will be required to meet the existing ground line while maintaining the required ramp rates,” Waskowitz said. Project drawings shown at the meeting indicate the west-side ramp will extend about 12 feet farther than the existing ramp and will meet the trail roughly two or three feet higher than the present ramp.

DDOT staff said an eastern-side ramp previously studied was not found to be feasible on a cost-benefit basis; the agency plans to rely on a proposed HAWK pedestrian crossing at Sherrier Place and Arizona Avenue to provide a safe connection to the east side. Peter Bonacorsi noted that the project will follow NEPA environmental requirements and that staff present could answer NEPA-related questions during the Q&A.

Timeline and next steps presented at the meeting: preliminary design began in February 2017 and was completed in June 2019; the project was paused from January 2020 until February 2025 for funding reasons and COVID-related delays. Final design work resumed in February 2025 and DDOT said it expects final design to be complete by May 2026. Procurement is expected to take five to seven months, with an anticipated contract award in early 2027 and construction in 2027.

Speakers emphasized that the current structure is monitored: Waskowitz said inspections occur on a multi‑year cycle and that the bridge’s current rating does not require immediate closure while the replacement advances. DDOT staff said they will seek public feedback as design proceeds, including a planned public meeting after a 90% design submission.

Ending: DDOT asked the public to submit written comments through the project comment form; staff said another public meeting will be scheduled once designs advance to allow further review of the ramp geometry, final spans and construction staging.