This series documents the controversy and events surrounding the proposed construction of a freeway bridge across the Anacostia River to link Interstates 295 and 395. The controversial plan was originally conceived in 1983. The controversy lasted for many years and was a core issue of Capozzi’s political career during the 1990’s. While proponents claimed that building the connector would help to relieve heavy traffic in the streets of residential neighborhoods, opponents argued that not only would it have little effect on traffic, but that the potential for increased traffic in the Barney Circle area, as well as the use of riverside parkland for the construction of the new bridge, would in turn be detrimental to the Barney Circle community. Several other issues became connected with the controversy over the Barney Circle Freeway, including social issues relating to the racial and economic demographics of the community through which the construction was proposed, connections between the Barney Circle Freeway and the proposed construction of the new Jack Kent Cooke Football Stadium and the Children’s Island theme park, funding for other transportation efforts such as the Metro system, the effects of the construction on Anacostia Park, and negative environmental impacts. The controversy affected the mayoral administrations of Marion Barry, who served from 1979-1991, Sharon Pratt Kelly, who served from 1991-1995, and Barry again after he retook office from 1995-1999. After over a decade of controversy, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton announced in 1997 that plans for the project were officially cancelled and that the nearly $200 million fund for the project would be reallocated for other transportation projects. This series includes press clippings and releases, reports, memoranda and correspondence (including citizens’ letter writing campaigns addressed to both mayors), and background information related to this controversy.

In 1993 a legal team led by Fern Shepard from the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) after it was discovered that the soil in the proposed construction area was contaminated with high levels of lead. The lawsuit alleged that the FHWA was violating several laws in moving forward with the project and demanded that construction be halted and a new environmental impact report be created. The series includes reports, complaint files, memoranda and correspondence, press clippings and releases, and background information related to this lawsuit.

One of the strongest arguments used by opponents of the freeway was a proposal for an alternative solution designed by architect and civil engineer Joseph Passonneau (1921-2011). Passonneau, former dean of the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, was a well-known and respected architect who in the 1960’s was instrumental in helping to convince Congress and St. Louis officials to build the Gateway Arch. Passonneau’s design for an alternative to the Barney Circle Freeway utilized four new ramps, rather than the proposed new four-lane bridge, to ease the traffic flow. The series includes reports, fliers, and press materials that explain and advocate for Passonneau’s design.