OMA, along with landscape architects OLIN, structural engineers WRA, and other members of the 11th Street Bridge Park design team have reached major milestones in the planning and design of the multi-use pedestrian bridge in Washington D.C. The breakthroughs come following the review and approval of plans by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) at the beginning of April 2020.

As per OMA, the intermediate design of the project is 65% complete. The team will move into final construction plans this fall. Additionally, the project has met 85% of its Capital Campaign development effort goal, with $118 million of the $139 million total project budget secured. Approximately $30.3 million allocated to the project was maintained in Washington D.C.’s new 2022 budget, as well. 

New renderings, following receiving approval and feedback from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, reveal further refinements to the bridge park plan. The amphitheater has been shifted from the elevated deck to the bridge’s east entry within Anacostia Park to expand capacity to around 250 people. Finishes and plantings across the site have also been refined. The bridge’s form and community features, such as the landscape, lawns and gardens, pedestrian paths, overlooks, café, environmental education center, and the central public plaza are unchanged. 

On October 6, 2021, the team, along with the client, Building Bridges Across the River, will host a community meeting to update residents on the project’s progress and receive additional feedback. The next design presentation to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts will occur this November.

In 2014, OMA and OLIN’s proposal “Anacostia Crossing” was selected as part of a nationwide competition to design the 11th Street Bridge Park. The project is led by OMA Partner Jason Long with Associate Yusef Ali Dennis out of OMA New York.