The roughly 6,000 feet of sea wall between the Jefferson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorials has been fenced off for nearly two years. Crews began working on the Tidal Basin sea wall restoration project in the summer of 2024, raising those walls to prevent the frequent flooding.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
In a statement, Burgum said, “this historic area is stronger, safer, and ready to welcome record visitors for America’s 250th anniversary and the generations to follow.”
Runners, school groups and even fishing enthusiasts have now been able to walk along that end of the water. Lucas Ball was casting his line Thursday morning.
“I’d say it’s actually nice looking to me. It’s appealing. I like what they’re doing, repairing stuff, making it a lot nicer and safer for everybody. I would say they didn’t do that bad of a job on it,” he said between casts.
John Morris was enjoying a morning walk and told WTOP, “I’m looking forward to walking along the water again near the Jefferson Memorial.”
“It’s been a bummer that it’s been closed off, but it was also a bummer when areas were flooded before then and you can’t walk there anyway,” he continued.
When visitors walk along the Tidal Basin, they will notice the change in elevation and the new pathway just after the FDR Memorial.
The National Park Service also planted 546 new trees, 353 of them are cherry trees, around the Tidal Basin and along sections of the Potomac River.
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