Francis Scott Key Bridge
The Key Bridge replaced the Aqueduct Bridge which was originally built to carry the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal across the Potomac
Named after Francis Scott Key, author of The Star Spangled Banner
On January 17, 1923: the new $2.35 million Francis Scott Key Bridge opened. More commonly known as the Key Bridge, is a six-lane reinforced concrete arch bridge conveying U.S. Route 29 traffic across the Potomac River. Completed in 1923, it is Washington's oldest surviving bridge across the Potomac River. The Classical Revival bridge was designed by Nathan C. Wyeth and engineer Max C. Tyler and was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1917 and 1923, and was named after Francis Scott Key, author of The Star Spangled Banner.
The Key Bridge replaced the Aqueduct Bridge which was originally built to carry the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal across the Potomac to connect with the Alexandria Canal. After the Alexandria Canal was abandoned, the bridge was converted into a roadway. The Washington abutment still survives and is located west of the Key Bridge. One pier remains and is located in the river near the Virginia shore.
The original 1923 road deck was 70' wide. It included two 16' wide traffic lanes, a center lane for trolley tracks, and two 8’ wide sidewalks. In 1955, the trolley tracks were eliminated, and the deck was widened from 70' to 80'. In 1987, the 1955 alterations were removed, and a new 5’ high protective steel railing was installed at the outside edge of the deck. At its southern terminus in Virginia, the Key Bridge connects with North Lynn Street. The bridge rises just under 100 feet above the Potomac river below (including the height of the railing).
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