Work on burying power lines and preventing power outages in the District could cause a traffic bottleneck on a major east-west commuter route over the next month.
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On Tuesday, the District Department of Transportation is scheduled to close the two westbound lanes of Nebraska Avenue Northwest between Nevada Avenue and Connecticut Avenue. The lanes will be shut down around the clock until Aug. 7, the agency said.
The two eastbound lanes are being shifted to carry traffic in both directions, giving drivers one lane each way. Commuters will see cones, barriers and posted signs throughout the work zone, and DDOT asks travelers to give themselves extra time and follow all instructions in the area.
The lane closures are for work related to the D.C. PLUG initiative, a D.C. and Pepco partnership “undergrounding” select overhead power lines to improve reliability and cut down on storm-related outages.
The roots of the program go back to 2012, when then-Mayor Vincent Gray created the Mayor’s Power Line Undergrounding Task Force after severe storms left parts of the District without power for days.
The task force found D.C.’s electric system needed major upgrades to better handle severe weather and reduce outages. Pepco and the District Department of Transportation developed the undergrounding plan in response to those findings, which eventually became the D.C. PLUG initiative.
Residents can find updates on the project online or by calling their hotline at 1-844-758-4146.
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