John F. Deatrick, the city transportation director who rebuilt Fort Washington Way, will leave Cincinnati to take on a similar project in Washington, D.C.

        Mr. Deatrick will head the Anacostia Waterway Initiative, which Mayor Anthony Williams has identified as the top infrastructure priority in the nation's capital.

Deatrick

        It will include the redesign of two highways that provide access to Capitol Hill and downtown, the development of parks along the Anacostia River, and coordination with a new stadium for the Washington Redskins.

        It's remarkably similar to Cincinnati's $314 million Fort Washington Way project.

        “Cincinnati had their turn, and it's our turn now. We need to do with our waterfront what you did for yours,” said Dan Tangherlini, director of the district's Division of Transportation.

        Mr. Deatrick's new boss said he was also impressed with Mr. Deatrick's ability to cut through bureaucracy throughout the three-year riverfront project.

        “The land on both sides of the Anacostia River is owned by the National Park Service. There are 18 different federal agencies he's going to have to deal with,” said Mr. Tangherlini. “I told him ODOT (the Ohio Department of Transportation) was just practice.”

        After winning national awards for Fort Washington Way, Cincinnati officials said they knew it was just a matter of time before bigger cities came after Mr. Deatrick.

        “He was really Mr. Fort Washington Way,” said Acting City Manager Tim Riordan. “He's been a good organizer and a passionate advocate for good planning and good management in City Hall.”

        Mr. Deatrick, who grew up in Defiance, has lived in Cincinnati since attending the University of Cincinnati in 1963. He has worked for the city since 1973.

        He retires May 1.

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