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2017 Inauguration Road Closures: Which Washington Streets Will Be Closed For Trump’s Big Day?

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 08:18 PST, Jan 18, 2017

As thousands of people arrive in Washington, D.C., for the 2017 presidential inauguration, there will be several road closures in effect to maintain security and law and order. Along with thousands of Trump supporters, the presidential inauguration is also expected to witness a lot of protests and galas. In case you plan to visit Washington, D.C. for the inauguration, or if you already happen to be in town and are worried about ending up stuck somewhere due to several road closures, here is a guide to getting around the city before, during, and after the inauguration.

According to Patch, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Park Police have jointly instituted the vehicular restrictions and road closures that will remain in effect on the day of the inauguration. Roads across the city have been divided into Red and Green Vehicle Restricted Zones with the Red Zones completely out of bounds for normal traffic, and the Green Zones being the ones that will remain open. Needless to say, travelers can expect severe traffic congestion in the Green Zones. Google Maps has a detailed map that shows these Green and Red Zones on the map.

We have embedded the map below.

Note that the Red Zone will remain out of bounds even if you are on a bicycle, and the ban will be in effect starting at 3.a.m. on Friday, January 20. The only vehicles that would be allowed entry into the Red Zones would be vehicles belonging to authorized personnel or emergency vehicles that need to use the route for emergency medical assistance.

In case you plan to remain out in public on inauguration day despite these road closures, please ensure you have a reasonable amount of ID cards in your possession. Thanks to the heightened security protocols in place, you may have to present your proof of residency, employment, and a proper verbal justification to explain your presence at the location in case you happen to be stopped by an officer. Vehicles with Americans with Disabilities tag or other handicap identification are allowed to be parked in designated parking garages. Parking vehicles on the street and in areas with the “Emergency No Parking” signs is not allowed.

Apart from the city core, several restrictions and road closures are also in place for people who are traveling to Washington from other areas. The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia State Police issued the following set of restrictions that would be applicable for people coming to Washington from Northern Virginia.

  • I-395 HOV northbound lanes will close at 3 a.m. on Friday. HOV lanes on I-395 will re-open southbound upon the conclusion of the Inaugural parade.
  • HOV restrictions will be lifted on I-66 (as well as on I-395 when the lanes re-open Friday evening).
  • I-395 main lanes and I-66 will be open to all traffic.
  • Memorial Bridge will be open to pedestrian traffic and authorized vehicle traffic only.
  • Key Bridge, Chain Bridge, Woodrow Wilson Bridge and the American Legion Bridge will be open to all traffic.
  • North Washington Street at Montgomery Street (City of Alexandria) to Reagan National Airport will be open.

To avoid congestion and travel delays, the department of transportation have encouraged residents to use Metro, Virginia Railway Express, and Amtrak for travel from Virginia to Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day. Those needing to travel are encouraged to seek alternate means of transportation and develop a backup route. In case you decide to take the Metro, note that it will open an hour earlier than normal in anticipation of the crowd with the first train leaving at 4 a.m. Rush hour services will operate until 9 p.m. Also, note that five stations near the National Mall will be closed for security reasons. Those stations are:

  • Archives
  • Mt. Vernon Square
  • Federal Triangle
  • Smithsonian
  • Pentagon

Note that street closures displayed on the map are dynamic in nature and could change in case of public safety concerns or traffic patterns.

[Featured Image by Pixabay]

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