The National Park Service on Wednesday announced a list of changes they’ll implement over the next year that will better connect areas on the National Mall and improve safety for pedestrians and bikers.
The work will include the rehabilitation of trails and roads to create new and enhanced infrastructure for visitors to the Mall. There will be closures and detours while the process is ongoing.
The project will include:
- A multiuse trail tunnel through the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge;
- New crosswalks on Independence Avenue Southwest at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and on Constitution Avenue Northwest at 18th Street;
- New curb ramps and crosswalk buttons that will meet modern accessibility standards;
- An extension of the 15th Street Northwest Cycletrack (a two-way protected bike lane) between Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest and East Basin Drive Southwest;
- Improvements to the volleyball courts on Parkway Drive by repaving footpaths and installing new poles, netting and a drinking fountain, and planting new sod and trees (expected to be completed by Labor Day 2021).
“The NPS strives to lead the region in providing exceptional outdoor experiences. We seamlessly link richly diverse places of natural and historic significance in the national capital area while providing safe and enjoyable experiences for people to walk, run, bike and have fun with friends and family,” the park service said in a statement.
See a full list of the planned road closures on the National Park Service’s website.
