There have been three bridges named the Long Bridge connecting Washington, D.C., to Arlington, Virginia, over the Potomac River.
The first bridge at the site opened in 1809 for foot, horse, and stagecoach traffic. It was briefly converted for railroad traffic in 1862 due to the Civil War, but the tracks were moved to a new companion bridge in 1865. Both bridges were damaged in an 1870 flood and demolished in 1872.
The replacement was a single new bridge with both a roadway and a railway that opened in 1872. Despite its design, it had problems with river ice and was itself demolished in 1907.
The current bridge was built in 1904. It was substantially modified in 1942 by completely replacing the bridge deck except for the moveable span, and adding new piers among the old ones. It currently carries CSX Transportation's RF&P Subdivision, which is used by Amtrak intercity trains and Virginia Railway Express commuter trains as well as freight trains. Norfolk Southern Railway also has trackage rights on the bridge but does not currently exercise those rights.
In 2019, Virginia announced that it would help fund and build a new rail bridge parallel to the existing one to double its capacity. Construction of the companion bridge began in October 2024.
First bridge (1809–1870)
The first bridge at this location was the "Washington Bridge", a wooden toll bridge. The Washington Bridge Company was authorized on February 5, 1808, by the District Commissioners and an Act of Congress with the purpose of shortening the distance in the country's main mail route.An Act authorizing the erection of a bridge over the river Potomac within the District of Columbia - 10th Congress Session I - Chapter 15 - 1808. President Thomas Jefferson signed it into law soon after. It was built to provide foot, horse and stagecoach traffic to Washington City.National Railway Historical Society - Washington DC Chapter - History of the Long Railroad Bridge Crossing Across the Potomac River by Robert Cohen - http://www.dcnrhs.org/learn/washington-d-c-railroad-history/history-of-the-long-bridge It was the second bridge to cross the Potomac in the District of Columbia, following a 1797 span at a narrower crossing near Little Falls, upstream of Georgetown, at the site of the present Chain Bridge. At the time it opened and also in the official documents, it was referred to as Washington Bridge, Potomac Bridge or simply "the Bridge" but by the 1830s it began to be called the "long Bridge across the Potomac" to distinguish it from the shorter bridge near Little Falls. Over time, the colloquial name was shortened to just "Long Bridge".
Built as a timber pile structure with two draw spans, it connected the city of Washington to Alexandria County. The bridge opened to traffic on May 20, 1809, and, at long or a mile including the abutments, was the longest bridge in the United States at the time. On the city of Washington side, it landed at the end of Maryland Avenue SW near 14th Street SW. Before the bridge was built, only a ferryboat connected the city of Washington and Alexandria County. The ferryboat ride made for a treacherous crossing when the river froze as the river was very wide. The bridge was wide, with for the broad carriageway in the center. The rest was for walkways on each side, protected from center traffic by a guardrail. It was built on 201 piers, with 20 lamps, a wide draw on one side and a wide one on the other. A wharf was constructed near one of the draws.
A board of commissioners oversaw the subscription of stocks to raise capital for the build, not to exceed $200,000, equal to $ today.
A toll was put in place with prices set by Congress and posted at the bridge for up to 60 years after opening: Foot passenger: 6 1/4 cents () Person and horse: 18 3/4 cents () Chaise, sulky or riding chair: 37 1/2 cents () Coach, coachee, stage-wagon, chariot, phaeton or curricle or other riding carriage: 100 cents with an additional 12 1/2 cents for each horse or other animal (more than two) pulling the carriage (equivalent to $ with an additional $ each in ) Four-wheeled cart, dray or other two-wheeled carriage of burthen: 18 3/4 cents with an additional 12 1/2 cents for each horse or other animal (more than one) pulling the cart (equivalent to $ with an additional $ each in ) Sheep or swine: 3 cents each (Only one person per team or drove passes for free) () Horse or neat cattle not pulling a coach or cart or with a rider: 6 1/4 cents (Only one person per team or drove passes for free) ()
No toll was to be collected for: Vehicles and passengers with property of the United States Troops of the United States, Militia, state, or District of Columbia marching in a body, any cannon or equipment belonging to the United States
On August 24, 1814, following the Battle of Bladensburg during the War of 1812 the President, officers of the country and American troops used it to retreat to Virginia and burnt the south end of the bridge behind them. The next day, British troops burned the north end of the bridge as they entered the City of Washington. The bridge was repaired by 1818.
Purchase by the federal government On February 22, 1831, high water and ice carried away several spans of the bridge, leading to closure and bankruptcy of the bridge company.Additional damage occurred due to high water and/or ice in 1836, 1841, 1856, 1860, 1863, 1866 and 1887 The following year, Congress purchased the bridge for $20,000 (equal to $ today), and appropriated $60,000 to repair it. However, more funds would be needed to complete the project and the total cost was $114,126.
On October 30, 1835, the bridge was reopened with President Andrew Jackson and his Cabinet present. It was to remain in that state until the mid-1850s. In March 1847, the Virginia Assembly voted to formally accept the retrocession of Alexandria and Arlington, and thus the south approach of the bridge became part of Virginia.
After 1835, the B&O Railroad was provided access to Washington City through the Northeast quadrant. There were several attempts to bring the railroad to Alexandria City. The A&W Railroad connected the B&O Railroad New Jersey Avenue Station located on Capitol Hill to the Long Bridge on the north shore by 1855 and in Alexandria by the end of 1857. However, the Virginia legislature had banned any other connections and tracks were not placed on the bridge. Goods were offloaded, transported over the bridge in omnibuses over the bridge and reloaded on the other side.
Civil War
In 1860, the President of the B&O company had requested, and been denied, permission to reinforce or replace the bridge. The beginning of the Civil War in 1861, and the secession of the state of Virginia on May 23, 1861, made the military value of the bridge evident. On May 25, 1861, 13,000 Union troops moved in to take control of the bridge along with Alexandria and its railroad. Under the command of Colonel John G. Barnard, Fort Jackson (Virginia) was built to guard the bridge to avoid the passage of spies and invasion by the Confederates with four cannons present in the fort.
Competition between railroads became sharper in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, as the Pennsylvania Railroad sought to break B&O's monopoly in the District. Local and federal politics along with personal interests of politicians made it possible for the newcomer to gain access to the city. Pennsylvania Senator Simon Cameron, a stockholder in the PRR-owned Northern Central Railroad, served as Secretary of War from 1861 to 1862, when he was fired due to charges of payoffs and other irregularities, and helped the railroad gain control of the bridge. The PRR was financing the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad (B&P) to get in the District.
At the direction of the military in early 1862, new tracks were laid for the approaches, the rail bed was repaired and tracks were laid across the bridge. The new connection opened on February 9, 1862. On February 11, 1862, Daniel McCallum was appointed Military Director and Superintendent of the Union railroads, with the staff rank of colonel, by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. McCallum had authority to "enter upon, take possession of, hold and use all railroads, engines, cars, locomotives, and equipment that may be required for the transport of troops, arms, ammunition, and military supplies of the United States, and to do and perform all acts... that may be necessary and proper... for the safe and speedy transport aforesaid," he wrote in an 1866 report.David A. Pfeiffer "Working Magic with Cornstalks and Beanpoles: Records Relating to the U.S. Military Railroads during the Civil WarSummer " in: Prologue 2011, Vol. 43, No. 2. It quickly became obvious the structure would not be able to withstand heavy loads. Lightly loaded railroad cars were transshipped over the bridge and pulled by horses.
Companion railroad bridge (1864-1872) On July 23, 1864, a new, stronger bridge, built by the Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown Railroad Company was completed about 100 feet (30 m) downriver. Work on the bridge began in June 1863 and built a bridge with 203 spans and two draws, completed without rails. On February 18, 1865, the U.S. Military railroad engine Charles Minot was crossing the old bridge when its weight caused the span to fail. The failure was such that the military decided it was easier and important enough to take possession of the new bridge and install rail on it than repair the old one. The rails were moved to the new bridge - which was then called Railroad Bridge - and the old bridge - then Turnpike Bridge - became used for non-rail traffic only, as had been recommended in the prior year.Norfolk Southern Railway History, "Orange and Alexandria Railroad" Piedmont Railroaders, Spring 2002. Accessed June 19, 2008.
Railroad Bridge opened on February 21, 1865, and carried only railroad traffic. On November 15, 1865, with the end of the war, the U.S. Military Railroad gave the bridge to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the new bridge became part of the Washington, Alexandria and Georgetown Railroad, leased by the B&O.
Sometimes the two bridges were referred to separately as the Long Bridge and the railroad bridge and at others as two parts of one "Long Bridge".
During the war, wounded Union soldiers were carried across the bridge to hospitals set up all over the city. The closest was Armory Square Hospital, a few blocks from the bridge.
Flood damage and demolition An October 1, 1870, flood damaged both the Turnpike Bridge and Railroad Bridge existing bridges beyond repair, with much of the causeway, wooden superstructure and spans carried away. Railroad Bridge was partially repaired and continued to be used until it was closed the day the new bridge opened, May 14, 1872. It was then removed in late 1872.
Second bridge (1872–1906)
Prior to the flood, the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company had been given the rights to the bridges on the condition that they maintain them. Immediately following the flood they chose to build a replacement bridge which they worked on from November 1870 until it opened on May 15, 1872. The new bridge was wide with both a carriageway and a railway, above the water, and nearly a mile long with solid abutments built of sandstone from Freestone Point and blue gneiss from the quarries above Georgetown. The draws were long. The bridge had three parts, a bridge over the Washington Channel, a bridge over the Virginia Channel and a earth causeway between masonry walls on the flats between the channels.
On July 2, 1872, the Alexandria and Fredericksburg Railway opened, providing the first direct all-rail connection between the north and Richmond, Virginia.