Get ready if you’re coming into the District Monday or if you drive through Northwest D.C. — you could face some pretty heavy traffic.
Waterside Drive, a critical connection point between Rock Creek Parkway and Massachusetts Avenue, will close to traffic for two months.
Some drivers are already worried about the impact this closure will have on their commute.
“It’s gonna be really inconvenient to a lot of people coming that use this road,” a resident told News4. It’s a major throughway of getting back and forth on Massachusetts Avenue.
The closure could lead Massachusetts Avenue to be very busy starting Monday morning, and traffic has already started backing up on Rock Creek Parkway.
Extensive detours will run through parts of Woodley Park and Georgetown.
Waterside Drive actually dates back to the 1930’s and 40’s. The National Park Service (NPS) said they’ll be replacing the drainage system, painting the streetlights and making it a more reliable infrastructure to reduce the need for recurring repairs.
“If it needs to be done, it needs to be done,” the same resident said. “I think a lot of our infrastructure is probably a little too old, and it should’ve been done probably decades ago.”
NPS also promised those that live and work right there that the road will generally be open to them, although brief closures could happen at any time. The sidewalks are also expected to remain open.
Closures are expected through Nov. 13th. Until then, patience and heading out with plenty of extra time could help make the extra commute a little easier to bear.
