Motorists should forego driving through the District of Columbia this weekend to avoid multiple street closures that could clog traffic. “Saturday is going to be an extremely busy day on the roads in the District,” said Erik Linden, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation. “Public transportation, walking and bicycling – those are the ways to go this weekend in the District.”
Many of the closures are being caused by today’s 18th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a 5K run that raises money for breast-cancer research. Most significantly, Constitution Avenue between Seventh and 19th streets in Northwest and 18th Street between Constitution Avenue and F Street will be blocked from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Other closures begin as early as 12:01 a.m. and the last closures are scheduled to end at 4 p.m.
Metro trains will begin running at 5 a.m. today, two hours earlier than normal, to take runners and race volunteers into the city. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority anticipates it will serve an extra 50,000 customers today because of the race. No track maintenance work has been scheduled today so race-related rail service will not be delayed, Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said.
The transit system is recommending participants exit at the Federal Center or Judiciary Square stations if they are attending the 6:45 a.m. pre-race rally. Runners arriving just for the race can use Metro Center, Archives-Navy Memorial or Federal Triangle.
Various festivals and construction projects will force additional closures, including the southbound lanes of the South Capitol Street Bridge. The lanes, which carry traffic out of the city, closed after Friday’s rush hour and will reopen before Monday evening’s rush begins. Traffic will be diverted to Interstate 395 across the 11th Street Bridge to Interstate 295 South.
The entire crossing, also known as the Frederick Douglass Bridge, will close in July and August for a major overhaul that will lower the bridge and create a land-level roadway near the Washington Nationals’ new stadium.
For a full list of all road closures in the District this weekend, go to www.ddot.dc.gov.
