The city finally extended East Capitol Street across the Anacostia River and Kingman Island in 1955. That 1934 proposal was finally approved by city and federal planners in 1949. Construction required that of lake bottom be dredged from Kingman Lake and replaced with sand and gravel to create a gently curving peninsula that extended into the western side of the lake. of fill would be used to raise the peninsula above the low water mark, so that the bridge's western approaches could built on the new land. The Whitney Young Memorial Bridge opened in November 1955.