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Final ride: Rolling Thunder 2019 road closures

By Jennifer Ortiz

[related_gallery align=”right”]It’s the end of a 31-year old tradition. Rolling Thunder will ride through D.C. one last time on Sunday, as a demonstration to advocate for prisoners of war and those who are missing in action. Those spending the Memorial Day weekend in and around D.C. should note that some roads will close and some areas will be unavailable for parking because of Rolling Thunder. Expect random, rolling closures with police escort into D.C. and Arlington this morning as thousands of motorcycles head to the Pentagon.

Memorial Day news and eventsLatest traffic and road conditions from the WTOP Traffic CenterGet to traffic updates every 10 minutes on the radio at 103.5 FM or online

I-66 closed twice between 8 and 9 a.m. The first closure allowed a group of riders from Manassas to stream through. The road briefly reopened before once again closing to allow a group coming from Fairfax through. After the second closure, I-66 remained closed for over an hour.

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Though some closures will be unannounced and random, D.C. police announced the following closures for Rolling Thunder ahead of time in effect from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday:

  • Constitution Avenue, NW from 23rd Street, NW to 3rd Street, NW
  • Independence Avenue, SW from 3rd Street, SW to 23rd Street, SW
  • 23rd Street, NW from Constitution Avenue, NW to Memorial Bridge
  • 3rd Street from Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
  • 4th Street from Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
  • 7th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
  • 9th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
  • 9th Street Tunnel
  • 12th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
  • 12th Street Tunnel
  • 14th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
  • 14th Street Bridge (north on 14th Street/lanes to eastbound I-395/695 will remain open)
  • 15th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
  • 17th Street from New York Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW
  • 18th Street from E Street, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
  • 19th Street from E Street, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
  • 20th Street from E Street, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
  • 21st Street from E Street, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
  • 23rd Street from E Street, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW

See a map of the road closures below:

The public should expect parking restrictions along the entire parade route. All vehicles that are parked along the route and violate the parking signs will be ticketed and towed. The following streets will be posted as emergency no parking from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday:

  • Constitution Avenue, NW from 23rd Street, NW to 3rd Street, NW
  •  Street, NW from Constitution Avenue, NW to Memorial Bridge
  • 3rd Street, NW from Constitution Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue SW
  • Independence Avenue, SW from 3rd Street, SW to 23rd Street, SW

National Museum of the American Latino to be housed in historic Smithsonian building

By Neal Augenstein
The Smithsonian Institution has decided to put the National Museum of the American Latino into an existing, historic building, rather than constructing a new one. The Smithsonian Board of Regents on Monday designated the Arts and Industries Building, a 145-year-old redbrick Victorian structure located between the Smithsonian Castle and the Hirshhorn Museum, as the permanent site of the National Museum of the American Latino, which Congress authorized in 2020. In 2022, the Smithsonian narrowed its survey for permanent locations for the National Museum of the American Latino and the American Women's History Museum to four locations near the National Mall on land owned by the National Park Service. The Arts and Industries Building, located at 900 Jefferson St. SW, was one of the four sites. New construction on National Park Service land would require congressional approval. However, since the Smithsonian already owns the Arts and Industries Building, the institution can place the National Museum of the American Latino in the existing building without additional legislation.
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