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.

Topic

[JustinW]

Memorial Bridge & Lincoln Memorial were fine a couple of days ago and 14th St Bridge was on point today.

[VikingMariner]

[video=youtube_share;DyF5Dfxb_js]https://youtu.be/DyF5Dfxb_js[/video]

[zsionakides]

@Henry 200018 wrote:

Appears to be open. Can someone pls confirm?

Hains Point is closed. The road is blocked from past the golf course all the way around. You can walk/run there as the seawall path is open, but the road entrances are blocked off.

It’s unfortunate that they closed it to bikes as all the parking in the area is closed so it wouldn’t be hard to partially open the gates to bikes a’la Beach Drive.

[Dan K]

You can absolutely cycle on Hains Point. Yes, the gates are locked, but the police have zero problem with cyclists going around them and using the roadway. A few weeks ago, I actually asked a cop parked adjacent to the gate if it would be OK, her response — no problem. Been doing laps there ever since, including in full view of police parked in the parking area down near the “tip” — again, no problem.

@zsionakides 200249 wrote:

Hains Point is closed. The road is blocked from past the golf course all the way around. You can walk/run there as the seawall path is open, but the road entrances are blocked off.

It’s unfortunate that they closed it to bikes as all the parking in the area is closed so it wouldn’t be hard to partially open the gates to bikes a’la Beach Drive.

[zsionakides]

@Dan K 200279 wrote:

You can absolutely cycle on Hains Point. Yes, the gates are locked, but the police have zero problem with cyclists going around them and using the roadway. A few weeks ago, I actually asked a cop parked adjacent to the gate if it would be OK, her response — no problem. Been doing laps there ever since, including in full view of police parked in the parking area down near the “tip” — again, no problem.

Per NPS, Ohio Dr to Hains Point is closed to all traffic including bicycles – https://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/temporary-facilities-closure-advisory.htm. Just because some park police look the other way doesn’t make it legal or advised.

[Author]

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