Image courtesy of DDOT

If you’ve ever wanted to drive through and out of D.C., you know that it hasn’t been easy. There’s been no direct freeway connection across the Anacostia River; getting off of Southeast/Southwest Freeway and connecting to the Anacostia Freeway across the river via the Sousa Bridge has been a must, adding time to many a drivers’ trips.

That changes today. The D.C. Department of Transportation officially opened up a span of the 11th Street Bridge that will connect the SE/SE Freeway directly to the northbound stretch of D.C. 295 that heads out of the city. In so doing, it allows drivers to skip the Sousa Bridge and stay on freeways for the entire trip through and out of D.C.

The entire 11th Street Bridge has been rebuilt over the last few years, costing the city some $390 million.