Today, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced that it was awarded a $34 million grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for a project along East Capitol Street in Ward 7 that will improve transportation safety and mobility for all roadway users.
The grant, allocated for the East Capitol Street Safety and Mobility Project, is part of DOT’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) program, which was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). INFRA supports multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance, aiming to enhance safety, efficiency, and reliability in the movement of freight and people across rural and urban areas.
“The East Capitol Street Corridor is listed on the District of Columbia's existing high-injury network,” said Interim DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum. “With significant pedestrian and vehicular activity in this corridor, we are thrilled to have this funding that will add to Mayor Bowser’s budget commitment to help improve the safety of all our roadway users.”
The East Capitol Project spans from Burns Street to Southern Avenue, covering approximately 2.1 miles in Ward 7. The comprehensive $57 million project incorporates various safety improvements promoting both environmental justice and equity in a Historically Disadvantaged Community as well as the District’s Vision Zero goals, while also benefiting local and regional users of the corridor, adjacent residential communities, schools, and businesses. Key enhancements include:
- the introduction of new bicycle facilities including designated and protected bike lanes;
- transit improvements along with floating bus stops offset from the curb;
- an array of safety and traffic-calming measures including curb extensions to enhance visibility;
- enhanced traffic signal timing for vehicles and pedestrians;
- high-visibility crosswalks;
- HAWK (High-Intensity Activated crosswalk) beacons;
- stormwater drainage upgrades; and
- safer geometric reconfigurations of intersections.
The final design phase of the project is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024 with construction expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027. In addition to the grant award, DDOT will use $11.3 million of Federal Highway Administration formula funding and $11.3 million of District funding to complete the project.
Generally, the District is expected to receive more than $3 billion under the BIL. Mayor Bowser created the DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force to maximize the District’s effectiveness in securing and deploying federal dollars available from the law. To date, more than $2.1 billion in BIL funding has been announced for roads, bridges, roadway safety, and major projects in the District. Some past DDOT grant awards include:
- $10 million for South Capitol Street Trail improvements from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program
- $9.9 million for purchasing electric buses for DC Circulator from the Low-No Grant Program and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program Discretionary Grant.
- $72 million to rehabilitate the I-395 Northbound bridge from the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) grant program
- $20 million for the Wheeler Road Capital Improvement Project (RAISE grant)
- $6.5 million for the Arboretum Bridge and Kenilworth Park South Trail (RAISE grant)
To learn more about the East Capitol Street Safety and Mobility Project, visit ddot.dc.gov/eastcapitolsafety.
For more details about the INFRA Grant Program, visit transportation.gov/grants/infra-grant-program.