D.C. officials announced today that part of the city’s largest public infrastructure project is getting underway in honor of Frederick Douglass, on the heels of the abolitionist’s bicentennial birthday next year.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said that a brand new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge will be built next to the deteriorating one that currently hovers over the Anacostia River in Southeast.

“When completed, this will be a tremendous structure and a fitting memorial for a remarkable American icon,” Bowser said at the project’s unveiling on Thursday.

More than 70,000 drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians cross the existing 68-year-old memorial bridge everyday, according to the D.C. Department of Transportation. The new bridge will run along South Capitol Street, connecting the area near National’s Stadium and Anacostia, less than two miles away from the Frederick Douglass National Historic site. Officials say it could spur economic development on both sides of the river.

The six-lane structure is being billed as a safer option for travelers, helping to deliver on D.C.’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate all traffic-related deaths in the city by 2024. Plus, it’ll be a scenic destination with three above-deck arches, two piers, and four pedestrian overlooks.

After fighting for more than a decade, the District secured more than $200 million in federal funding for the new bridge, said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. “What a relief it is to see that work come to a head with today’s contract announcement and design unveiling,” she said.

The bridge is part of the $441 million South Capitol Street Corridor Project, the largest undertaking by the DDOT to date. The project also includes reconstructing the Suitland Parkway/I-295 interchange and creating a boulevard along South Capitol Street.

Construction is set to begin later this year and the bridge is slated to open in 2021. For now, have a look at this simulation video, courtesy of DDOT.