Tidal Basin, Memorial Bridge, Lincoln Memorial Street closures

[arlcxrider]

Metropolitan Police and National Park Service announce street closures around the tidal basin area and environs, effective today, 3/22. Includes the Memorial Bridge. Unknown to me whether the closure includes bicycles. I was down there on early Thursday evening, and it was the usual cherry blossom traffic snarl.

https://mpdc.dc.gov/release/traffic-advisory-street-closures

Closures include:

The Memorial Bridge
Lincoln Memorial Circle
Potomac River Freeway (all exits to Ohio Drive and Independence Avenue)
Rock Creek Parkway/Potomac Parkway Drive between Virginia Avenue and Independence Avenue, SW (to include Ohio Drive, SW)
Independence Avenue between Ohio Drive and 14th Street, SW
23rd Street between Constitution Avenue and Lincoln Memorial Circle
Henry Bacon Drive between Constitution Avenue and Lincoln Memorial Circle
17th Street between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW
15th Street between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW
Maine Avenue between Independence and 12th Street, SW
All vehicular exits to East Potomac Park and West Potomac Park

MPD adds this note:

Individuals and groups will encounter delays in the vicinity of this closure. To help flatten the curve, we strongly discourage any Tidal Basin visits because social distancing has not been possible due to visitor volume.

[secstate]

Most or all of these roads are open to bicycles and pedestrians. There are quite a few people out but I wouldn’t say it’s crowded. Definitely consider checking it out.

[secstate]

Nevermind: the National Guard will be preventing entry to the Mall and Jefferson Memorial starting tomorrow. Some other streets may still be bike and ped only

https://www.popville.com/2020/03/dc-national-guard-washington-dc-restrict-cherry-blossoms-tidal-basin-coronavirus/

“As the District continues working to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Muriel Bowser is extending road closures and taking additional measures to restrict access to the Tidal Basin. The Mayor has directed the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to work with the DC National Guard to enforce a restricted access zone around the Tidal Basin until further notice to ensure social distancing and prevent further community transmission of COVID-19. Further, pedestrian and bicycle traffic will be restricted in the area of the National Mall. Members of the public will not be able to enter the Jefferson Memorial or the National Mall in the area bounded by 14th Street to 23rd Street and Constitution Avenue to Independence Avenue, SW.

In coordination with the National Park Service, MPD will continue street closures from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. at the following locations:

The Memorial Bridge
Lincoln Memorial Circle
Potomac River Freeway (all exits to Ohio Drive and Independence Avenue)
Rock Creek Parkway/Potomac Parkway Drive between Virginia Avenue and Independence Avenue, SW (to include Ohio Drive, SW)
Independence Avenue between Ohio Drive and 14th Street, SW
23rd Street between Constitution Avenue and Lincoln Memorial Circle
Henry Bacon Drive between Constitution Avenue and Lincoln Memorial Circle
17th Street between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW
15th Street between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW
Maine Avenue between Independence and 12th Street, SW
All vehicular exits to East Potomac Park and West Potomac Park

All street closures and listed times are subject to change based upon prevailing or unexpected conditions. Vehicles parked along the streets in violation of the emergency no parking signs will be ticketed and towed.”

[arlcxrider]

Memorial Bridge walkway was closed this morning. Had to detour via the trollheim and TR.

[DCAKen]

Which is a real pity, seeing how both the 14th Street Bridge and the TR Bridge have much narrower paths

[arlcxrider]

@DCAKen 199568 wrote:

Which is a real pity, seeing how both the 14th Street Bridge and the TR Bridge have much narrower paths

Rather than try my luck (plus it was raining) I didn’t turn south on the Mt. Vernon Trail toward the 14th St Bridge, opting for TR instead. I can’t imagine 14th St is open either.

[Smitty2k1]

A friend of mine lives in SW DC near the Wharf and works at DCA as a mechanic (he is still working as planes are still flying). National Guard stopped him from going home last night after a 12 hour shift and he had to detour all the way to Georgetown to get back to SW DC. Ouch.

[DrP]

@Smitty2k1 199598 wrote:

A friend of mine lives in SW DC near the Wharf and works at DCA as a mechanic (he is still working as planes are still flying). National Guard stopped him from going home last night after a 12 hour shift and he had to detour all the way to Georgetown to get back to SW DC. Ouch.

Does this mean that one cannot use 14th bridge? I saw people on it this morning. Or is it that the roads near the wharf are closed? I will need to get to an appointment near L’Enfant Thursday and since Metro is discouraging riders, I thought I would CaBi there from South Arlington. If I cannot get there from the 14th street bridge (or Memorial) that changes the trip entirely.

[ursus]

@DrP 199599 wrote:

Does this mean that one cannot use 14th bridge? I saw people on it this morning. Or is it that the roads near the wharf are closed? I will need to get to an appointment near L’Enfant Thursday and since Metro is discouraging riders, I thought I would CaBi there from South Arlington. If I cannot get there from the 14th street bridge (or Memorial) that changes the trip entirely.

I live in SW DC. I rode along the wharf and after I went under 14th Street, the police turned me around. I figured that there must be a way to get to the bridge ramp but I was not in a mood to experiment. If anyone knows, I am also interested.

[Hancockbs]

You could try going up to L’Enfant from the Wharf at 9th St SW, cross the Francis Case Memorial pedestrian bridge into East Potomac, then take Ohio over to East Basin drive. I imagine that would route you around the road blocks on the DC side. Not much choice coming from the Virginia side.

[ursus]

Is Hains Point open then?

[DrP]

@Hancockbs 199605 wrote:

You could try going up to L’Enfant from the Wharf at 9th St SW, cross the Francis Case Memorial pedestrian bridge into East Potomac, then take Ohio over to East Basin drive. I imagine that would route you around the road blocks on the DC side. Not much choice coming from the Virginia side.

Meaning that I cannot go anywhere once I get to DC from VA if I am on the 14th street bridge? From the DDOT page it almost looks like I can be on the sidewalk to get to the wharf area and then could go up 7th (or 9th, I guess) to get to the L’Enfant area. But the little bit from the bridge to that part of Maine is not entirely devoid of closures, it looks like.

[Hancockbs]

I have NOT tried to ride it, but driving by late yesterday, there appeared to be police tape cordoning off the tidal basis and they were allowing pedestrians and cyclists on and off the 14th St bridge. Unfortunately, like a lot of things, it likely depends on the particular officer you encounter and to a certain extent, how you interact with that officer.

[LhasaCM]

Just passing this along (haven’t been close by in weeks so no first hand information), but WABA tweeted that both the 14th Street bridge sidepath and Memorial Bridge are closed. https://twitter.com/WABADC/status/1242864341906526208

Quote:

We’ve learned that as part of the Cherry Blossom shutdown, the 14th Street Bridge sidepath is closed, as is the Memorial Bridge.

This means that if you need to cross the crossing the Potomac, your options are limited to the Roosevelt Bridge and Key Bridge.

Plan accordingly.

They did note that they are talking to MPD and NPS about this, so hopefully it won’t last for those few who need it.

[arlcxrider]

@LhasaCM 199621 wrote:

Just passing this along (haven’t been close by in weeks so no first hand information), but WABA tweeted that both the 14th Street bridge sidepath and Memorial Bridge are closed. https://twitter.com/WABADC/status/1242864341906526208

They did note that they are talking to MPD and NPS about this, so hopefully it won’t last for those few who need it.

Pretty much a self-correcting problem once the cherry blossoms wither, and are no longer an “attractive nuisance.”

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